DAYS AND DEEDS 

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO 



STONE andFICKETT 




Jj'C'HBATH- a. -CO 

BOSTON 




Class _kj^_M_ 
Book / -^ '• 
Copyright 1^°.^ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr 



BOOKS 

Br GERTRUDE L. STONE AND 
M. GRACE FICKETT 



EVERY DAY LIFE IN THE COLONIES 

With Preface by W. W. Stetson. 
Nine full-page illustrations by Frank T. Merrill. 
129 pages. 35 cents. 



DAYS AND DEEDS A HUNDRED 
YEARS AGO 

Nine full-page illustrations by Frank T. Merrill. 
136 pages. 35 cents. 



D. C. HEATH & CO., Publishers 

Boston New York Chicago 



DAYS AND DEEDS 

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO 



BY 
GERTRUDE L. STONE 

AND 

M. GRACE FICKETT 



BOSTON, U. S. A. 

D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 

1906 






LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two CoDies Received 

MAR 14 1906 

Copyriarht Entry 

cuss to 'xXc. No. 

COPY B. 



CtJl'YRICH I', 1906, 

By D. C. IIkath & Co. 



Contents 



Two Heroes of a "Far Old Year" (1780) 
From Massachusetts to Ohio (1787) 
The Inauguration of Washington (1789) 
The Story of the Cotton Gin (179o) . 
The Parkers' Moving and Settling (179S) 
The Success of Robert Fulton (1807) 
A Canal Journey (1826) 
Kindling a Fire (1828) . 
A Railroad Story (18.i0) 
The Electric Telegraph (1844) 



PAGE 
1 

16 

36 

53 

68 

78 

94 

103 

112 

121 



Illustrations 



FACING PAGE 



" Onb:, Two, Buckle my Shoe ! " . 

"A Stkaxge Vehicle, drawn by Four Oxen" 

" The Girls scattered Flowers in Washington's 
Path '*....... 

Aunt Dinah in the Cotton Field 

The Mail Carrier ...... 

" Soon the Boat came Abreast of the Littlh 
Group " . . . . . 

The " Onondaga " . 

"Good Morning, David !'' said Mrs. Wilson 

" The Little Engine came to a Stop '' 



(; 

22 y 
44 



82'' 

9() 

104 ' 

ik; 



/ 



Days and Deeds a Hundred 
Years Ago 



TWO HEROES OF A '' FAR OLD YEAR " 



The large brown house on the hill was the 
jolliest place to visit that Roger knew anything 
about. To be sure, there were no children to 
play with. Baby Alice was not old enough to 
do much more than sleep or cry, and of course 
she could not know what a pleasant playmate 
her big, merry grandfather could be. But 
Roger knew, though Colonel Davenport was not 
his grandfather, only his great aunt's husband, 
and not really a bit related. Still, no grand- 
father could make a boy have a better time ; 
and when, one May morning, Mrs. Saybrook 
took her son for a month's visit at the big 
house, Roger had a right to be the happiest 
child in the whole Connecticut colony. 

1 



2 DAYS AND DEEDS 

One thing, however, seemed hard. Colonel 
Davenport might not be at home very much, 
for he belonged that year to the Connecticut 
legislature. It was not so easy to go from Hart- 
ford to Stamford as it is now, and the colonel 
did not try to get home often, although some- 
times he would come on Friday or Saturday 
and spend Sunday with his family. Indeed, he 
was expected the very week when Roger and 
his mother began their visit; and with him 
would come Governor Trumbull and three or 
four other men who were the colonel's close 
friends. The people at the big house needed 
Roger's mother to help get ready for so many 
guests; they needed a little boy, too, who could 
run on errands and do all the things that the 
colonel's own boys had done years before. 

On Friday afternoon, after three days of run- 
ning and waiting on the little boy's part, every- 
thing was ready for the visitors. Roger had not 
wasted a minute that day. Long before break- 
fast he had thrown corn to the hungry hens, 
had led Dobbin and Dolly to the spring, and 
had helped Jonas, the hired man, to milk the 
cows. He did not really do any milking himself, 
but he helped Jonas wonderfully, for he could 
carry the milking stool and the empty pails. 



TWO HEROES 3 

And it was much easier for Jonas to milk when 
the little fellow stood beside him, and exclaimed 
with an air of proud ownership, in words that 
he had often heard the colonel use, " After all, 
sir, there's no better cow in the colonies ! " 

But now all the work in the barn and in the 
house was done, and Roger had washed his face 
and hands, for the last time, he hoped, that 
day ; he had put on the trousers that his mother 
had* made from an old pair of the colonel's ; 
and now he was sitting on the front door-step 
waiting for the first sign of the riders from 
Hartford. 

" Here they come ! Here they come ! " he 
called before long ; and out into the yard 
hastened everybody on the place, from baby 
Alice, who could scarcely toddle, to her stout, 
proud grandmother. 

" I see him ! There's the colonel ! " shouted 
Roger, before the others had noticed much more 
than a cloud of dust. 

" Are you sure, Roger," asked his mother, 
" that you know the colonel so far away ? '' 

'' Why, of course. He's the largest and 
straightest man there." 

Roger was right. A minute or two later 
every one could distinctly see the half dozen 



4 DAYS AND DEEDS 

men on horseback coming slowly up the hill, 
the colonel riding ahead. 

'' That's Governor Trumbull just behind the 
colonel," said Jonas. " Did you ever see him 
before, Roger? " 

" No, I never did. But I supposed he would 
be almost as large as the colonel," the boy an- 
swered, gazing in almost a disappointed way at 
the gaunt figure of the worthy governor. 

But now the horses were at the gate, the riders 
had dismounted, and the colonel was introducing 
his friends to the ladies. " And this," he added, 
bowing low to the delighted Roger, " is Master 
Saybrook, who can lead our horses to the stable 
as well as any man you ever saw." 

" He seems like a fine boy," spoke one of the 
men, a tall, smiling man, who looked as if he 
might have some boys of his own. " But my 
horse is rather hard to lead. This may make it 
easier," and he laid a sixpence in Roger's hand. 

When Roger returned from the stable, it was 
supper time ; and it happened — a rare thing a 
hundred years ago — that there was a place at 
the table for the ten-year-old boy. The day 
was longer than usual, too, for Roger, as a rule, 
went to bed at six. To-night the great clock in 
the corner struck seven before the colonel said. 



TWO HEROES 5 

" Well, well ! It's time for a boy that has 
worked all day to get to bed." 

Roger started obediently ; he always minded 
when the colonel spoke. When he had said 
good-night, the colonel asked, " Have you had 
a pleasant day, my boy?" Roger thought of 
what the stout, generous stranger had said when 
he was introduced to Mrs. Davenport ; and bow- 
ing to the colonel, the little fellow answered in 
the visitor's words, " A day to be remembered, 
sir." He saw the company smile, but he had 
shut the door before his big friend said, " That's 
more genuine than anything I heard at the 
king's court." 

The next morning Roger was astir early. He 
had come into the sitting-room with an armful 
of wood for the open fire that made the cool 
May morning yet more pleasant. Just as he 
was putting the last stick upon the flames, he 
heard a voice say cheerily : " One, two, buckle 
my shoe ! " 

Looking around with a start, he saw the 
plump colonel standing in the bedroom door, 
and he knew well what his trouble was. Colo- 
nel Davenport was too large to stoop comfortably, 
and he needed some one to fasten the great silver 
buckles on his shoes. 



6 DAYS AND DEEDS 

Roger had helped in this way before, and now 
he ran quickly to be of use again. 

" And here is something to match the 
buckles," said the colonel, as he put into Roger's 
hand a shining shilling, a gift that made a joy- 
ous beginning to a most eventful day. 

After breakfast, Roger's friend of the day be- 
fore, whom he knew now as Major Sherman, 
was looking for a boy to hold his horse so that 
the animal could graze and roll in the green 
grass. Such a boy he easily found ; and when 
he put the rope into Roger's hand, he said warn- 
ingly, " Don't let go the rope, Roger, Dick will 
not try to get away while he knows he is held ; 
but if he sees he is free, you will have hard work 
to catch him again." 

" No, sir, I'll not let go," answered Roger, con- 
fidently. 

" Very well. Keep him here till I come for 
you." 

" I will, Major Sherman," promised Roger. 

Not five minutes after the major disappeared, 
Roger heard a strange noise that seemed to come 
from a loiig distance up the road. Now Roger 
was in a meadow back of the house, and the 
trees near the road grew so thick as to shut off 
his view of it entirely. The noise came nearer. 




"One, Two, Buckle my Shoe!" 



TWO HEROES 7 

He could hear the shrill notes of a fife and the 
roll of a drum. He fancied that he could hear, 
besides, the " tramp, tramp, tramp " of men's feet. 

" It's the new regiment on its way to New 
York," he thought suddenly. " And I never saw 
a soldier in my life ! Why doesn't the major 
come for Dick ? I wonder if I'd better take him 
up. 

Twice the desire to see those soldiers grew so 
strong that he started to lead Dick up the 
hill ; but each time he remembered his promise 
to the major and stayed in the meadow. Finally 
he said to himself, ''It's of no use to listen if I 
can't go. If I stay here, I must make more 
noise than the soldiers." 

So he began to sing some of the songs that 
every loyal American of the day knew by heart, 
shouting out with special strength the one that 
said : — 

" We'll fight and shout, and shout and fight 
For ]S[orth America ! " 

" I can shout if I can't fight," he assured 
himself, and screamed the louder. Finally, 
when he had to stop for breath, not a sound of 
music or tramping could he hear. " Well, 
Dick, they've gone by now," he said aloud. 



8 DAYS AND DEEDS 

" We needn't nuike any more noise. But I wish 
we had seen them." 

It was not long before Colonel Davenport and 
Major Sherman walked down the hill. 

" Uncle," asked Roger, as soon as the men 
were near enough to hear him, *' did some sol- 
diers go along the road ? " 

" Yes, the regiment, on its way to New York. 
Don't you want to hurry to the house and see 
the men? They are resting an hour with us." 

The boy's eyes danced. "And I shall see 
them after all," he said. " Come, Dick, hurry ! " 
And he pulled hard at the halter. 

" Wait a minute, Roger," commanded the colo- 
nel. " Didn't you know the soldiers would 
stop here ? " 

" No," answered the boy. '' I didn't even 
know they w^ere coming." 

" H'm ! " said the colonel. *' Have you ever 
seen a soldier ? " 

** No, sir, not one." 

" Why didn't you bring up the horse, then, 
when you heard the music and tramping?" 
asked Major Sherman. 

" I did want to," Roger acknowledged slowly. 
" But you know I promised to keep Dick here 
till you came." 



TWO HEROES 9 

The major gave the boy a shilling without a 
word. But Colonel Davenport looked at Roger 
earnestly. " My boy," he said slowly, " you did 
right to stay. Just remember always to do that 
very thing. Stay where you are and finish 
what you ought to do, no matter what else 
is happening." 

II 

Roger never forgot the colonel's advice. 
Probably he would have remembered it if noth- 
ing had happened to fix it more firmly in his 
mind. But something did happen — a danger 
arose so startling and so strange that the whole 
country talked about it for weeks — and in all 
the peril Colonel Davenport was so great a hero 
that years afterward a famous New England 
poet wrote some verses about the way the brave 
man " finished what he ought to do, no matter 
what else was happening." Roger was a hero, 
too ; and perhaps if Mr. Whittier had known 
how well the little boy heeded the colonel's 
warning, he might have written another famous 
poem about the dark day of 1780. 

It was the Friday after the colonel and his 
friends had gone back to Hartford, and Roger 
and his mother were still at the big house. 



10 DAYS AND DEEDS 

When Roger got up that morning, he saw noth- 
ing to make liim think that the day would be 
at all different from many another cloudy 
spring day. He could not know how there 
would fall 

' ' Over the bloom and sweet life of the Spring, 
Over the fresh earth and the heaven of noon, 
A horror of great darkness, like the night 
In day of which the Norland sagas tell, — 
The Twilight of the Gods." 

It was the middle of the forenoon before the 
great change came. Roger had just carried into 
the kitchen an armful of wood. He threw down 
the clattering sticks in a hurry as his mother ex- 
claimed, peering rather anxiously out from the 
south window, " How black the sky is ! And 
how dark it is growing ! I could scarcely see to 
count my eggs in the buttery just now." 

Mrs. Davenport, who was sewing in the 
kitchen, put down her work, saying, " I cannot 
see even at the window. What does this mean ? 
The sky looks as I have never seen it before." 

In great alarm, the two women gazed at the 
gathering clouds, which every moment grew 
darker and darker. Jonas, who had been work- 
ing at some distance from the house, came hur- 



TWO HEROES 11 

riedly into the kitchen, liis face pale with ex- 
citement and alarm. 

"Jonas, what does this mean?" "Jonas, 
what makes it so dark ? " cried both frightened 
women at once. 

But Jonas could not explain. And as the 
little company watched, they saw one fearful 
sign after another. 

" The low-hung sky 
Was black with ominous clouds, save where its rim 
Was fringed with a dull glow, like that which climbs 
The crater's sides from the red hell below. 
Birds ceased to sing, and all the barnyard fowls 
Boosted ; the cattle at the pasture bars 
Lowed, and looked homeward ; bats on leathern wings 
Flitted abroad ; the sounds of labor died." 

So in the darkening kitchen, every one laid 
work aside and sat frightened and speechless. 
Mrs. Davenport was tremblingly lighting a can- 
dle, when there came a sharp, quick knock and 
in burst two women who lived by themselves 
not far away. 

" It is the Judgment Day ! " they screamed. 
" We could not wait for it alone. Mrs. Daven- 
port, what shall we do ? What shall we do ? " 
and they both fell to weeping at once. Baby 
Alice, frightened by the unusual commotion, 



12 DAYS AND DEEDS 

now began to cry lustily, and the whole room 
was in an uproar. 

Never in Roger's life had he had so dreadful 
an experience. One of the women who had 
come in was now rocking violently, her apron 
over her head, and screaming, " I'm afraid ! 
I'm afraid ! " Even Mrs. Davenport, who up to 
this time had said little, began to wail despair- 
ingly, " Oh, if the colonel were only here ! 
Where is he now, I wonder ? " 

Then like a flash Roger remembered what the 
colonel had told him on the day when they 
were with Dick in the pasture. " The colonel 
said I was to finish what I ought to do, no mat- 
ter what else was happening," he said half 
aloud ; and then he promptly fell to work piling 
up the wood that half an hour before he had 
dropped helter-skelter on the hearth. 

" That's good advice, Roger ! " said Mrs. 
Davenport, and she picked up her sewing. 
" How did the colonel happen to say that to 
you?" 

Then, as well as he could, Roger told the 
story. Before he had said much, the neighbor 
in the rocking-chair was interested enough to 
stop her screaming and sobbing and listen. 
The others, too, had grown calmer. ■ 



TWO HEROES 13 

So they sat quietly through the long dark 
hours. Baby Alice went to sleep. Jonas worked 
on a harness that needed cleaning, and, with 
Roger's help, he made it shine like new. Mrs. 
Davenport found some knitting for Roger's 
mother and the neighbors ; and although every 
one was still too frightened to speak often, their 
great dread grew a little less. All through the 
long afternoon they sat by candle-light, peering 
out eagerly at intervals to see if there were any 
signs of returning day. At last it began to grow 
surely lighter, and by the latter part of the 
afternoon the strange darkness had wholly 
passed away. 

Meanwhile, what of the colonel ? 

lu the old State House, dim as ghosts, 
Sat the lawgivers of Connecticut, 
Trembling beneath their legislative robes. 
^' It is the Lord's Great Day ! Let us adjourn," 
Some said ; and then, a.s if with one accord, 
All eyes were turned to Abraham Davenport. 

Then slowly the colonel rose, and with a 
steady voice he broke the dreadful quiet. 

" This well may be 
The Day of Judgment which the world awaits ; 
But be it so or not, I only know 



14 DAYS AND DP:EDS 

My present duty, aud my Lord's command 
To occupy till He come. So at the post 
Where He hath set me in His providence, 
I choose, for one, to meet Him face to face, — 
No faithless servant frightened from my task, 
But ready when the Lord of the harvest calls ; 
And therefore, with all reverence, I would say, 
Let God do His work, we will see to ours. 
Bring in the caudles." 

The colonel had given courage to everybody 
in the House. The speaker found that the next 
act concerned an amendment to the law regulat- 
ing the shad and alewife fisheries, and in a 
voice which he tried hard to steady, he read the 
measure b}'^ the flaring candle-light. 

' ' Whereupon 
Wisely and well spake Abraham Davenport, 
Straight to the question, with no figures of speech 
Save the ten Arab signs, yet not without 
The shrewd dry humor natural to the man : 
His awe-struck colleagues listening all the while, 
Between the pauses of his argument. 
To hear the thunder of the wrath of God 
Break from the hollow trumpet of the cloud." 

Slowly and terribly the afternoon hours 
dragged by ; and at length the threatened ca- 
lamity was overpast. But the example of heroic 
Colonel Davenport made a lasting impression on 



TWO HEROES 15 

every one who that day sat with him in the 
Hartford state house. 

"And there he stands in memory to this day, 
Erect, self- poised, a rugged fixce, half seen 
Against the background of unnatural dark, 
A witness to the ages as they pass. 
That simple duty hath no place for fear." 

Leaen : — 

Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a 
distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. — Carlyle. 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 



It was Thanksgiving Day of 1787, and there 
was much to make the Putnam family thankful. 
In the first place the father and mother and 
eight children were all well ; in the next place 
General Rufus Putnam, the father, had just re- 
turned in safety from a cold, stormy stage jour- 
ney to Boston ; and besides, the Putnams were 
fairly well-to-do, and lived in one of the best 
houses in Rutland. 

Still the day was not quite without a cloud, 
for very soon brave General Putnam was to set 
out on a longer and much more perilous journey 
than the ride to Boston had been. He was 
" going west," across the lonely land of Pennsyl- 
vania, over the high Alleghanies, into the coun- 
try near the Ohio River ; and, moreover, he had 
thought it best not to take Mrs. Putnam and 
the children with him. '' But in a year or two," 
he had promised, " if the Indians are peaceful 
and the colony flourishes, I will come back for 
you all." 

16 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO lY 

" What makes you go to Ohio, father? " asked 
eight-year old Catharine at dinner, when the 
others had been speaking of the new project. 

" That is rather a hard question to answer," 
her fatlier replied, ** and this is not a good time 
to tell you. But to-night, after supper, when 
the work is done, you shall hear the whole 
story." 

When evening came, Catharine was seated on 
her father's lap in front of the blazing fire in 
the sitting-room. All the others, too, were 
gathered around the hearth. The fireplace was 
large enough to give every one plenty of warm, 
light space. 

" This is almost too comfortable a home to 
exchange for a log house in Ohio, is it not, 
mother?" asked the general of Mrs. Putnam, as 
he looked lovingly at the little group. 

*' Then this is the time to prove to us that 
you have to go," answered Mrs. Putnam. And 
Catharine added, " You know you promised to 
tell me this evening why you are going." 

" And so I will," General Putnam replied 
cheerfully to mother and daughter at once. '' I 
may not make you see just why / have to go, 
but I am sure you will understand that some- 
body ought to go. 



18 DAYS AND DEEDS 

'' In the first place, Catharine, when you were 
only a baby, the people of the colonies made 
King George confess that he had no longer any 
right to govern North America. Ever since, 
these thirteen colonies have been trying to make 
a nation of themselves — a nation that shall some 
day be as strong and powerful even as England. 

*' Now, stretching away to the west of us there 
is a vast tract of country — I do not know how 
many miles it contains. And if the United 
States is ever to be a flourishing nation, it must 
use these western lands for raising crops, and 
the great western rivers for waterways. The 
European nations say that much of this terri- 
tory belongs to us, but at present the part we 
might use is inhabited almost wholly by In- 
dians." 

" And will the Indians let us have the land, 
father? " interrupted twelve-year-old Edwin. 

*' I think so, Edwin. Of course they say the 
land is theirs, and they are right, I suppose. 
But we do not ask them to give it to us, my 
boy. We hope to persuade them to sell it to 
us. In any case, unless we can get people from 
the colonies to move to the west, colonists from 
Spain or France or England will take possession 
of our land. So don't you see, Catharine, that 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 19 

somebody must go out into the Ohio country 
and build towns tiiere?" 

And everybody smiled as Catharine answered 
gravely, " Yes, father, I see." 

" There is an easy way," went on General 
Putnam, " to induce people to settle in the West. 
When the Revolution was over, the government 
owed a great deal of money to those men who 
fought against the British. It has been too 
poor ever since to pay these soldiers in money ; 
but lately Congress has adopted a plan for pay- 
ing them in western lands instead, if they will 
only promise to settle in the new country them- 
selves or send others to do so. And, moreover, 
there is an Ohio Company, made up of men who 
have bought large tracts of western land from 
the government and will sell them again at low 
prices to all who will emigrate to Ohio." 

" And you are superintendent of the Ohio 
Company, aren't you, father?" inquired Cath- 
arine, proudly. 

" Yes, Catharine, I am the superintendent," 
answered the general. " Don't you see, then, 
how necessary it is that I should go to Ohio to 
distribute the lands and to look after the settle- 
ments ? " 

" Wliy, of course, father, they couldn't do 



20 DAYS AND DEEDS 

anything without you. But wliy can't we go, 
too?" 

" You shall all go before long if the settle- 
ment prospers. But, Catharine, I cannot take 
any little girls this time. There are no roads 
across the mountains and our party will prob- 
ably have to walk or go on horseback a good 
deal of the time. Then the last part of our 
journey will be spent traveling down the river, 
and we must stop at the foot of the mountains 
to build our boats. 

" Afterwards, when we get to Ohio, we must 
put up houses and plant the fields ; and all the 
time we shall have to be on the lookout for 
hostile Indians, who may not like to see the 
white men invade their country. I should like 
very much to take William Rufus, but he must 
stay here to look after you and the others." 

" So that is settled," thought William Rufus. 
" But I did hope that he would think I ought 
to go." Then he asked, '' Have you decided 
when to start, father? " 

" In about a week, probably," replied the 
general. " Twenty men are to leave Dan vers 
on December first, and they will stop here on 
their way. I shall go with them as far as Hart- 
ford, but there I am to wait for the men who 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 21 

will set out later from Rutland. I expect the 
Rutland men about the first of January. If we 
are fortunate, we shall all reach Ohio in time 
for the spring planting." 

"But when are you coming back, father?" 
was Catharine's eager question. 

" That I cannot tell exactly, little girl. I 
should like to come back for you all in the sum- 
mer, but perhaps I must wait still another year." 

" Why, I shall be a great girl ten years old 
then. That's ever so far off," replied the little 
girl almost tearfully. 

" It will take a long time for you to grow so 
much that I shall not know you, Catharine. But 
now," her father added, " it is bedtime for the 
smallest of us, at least." And as Catharine 
slipped obediently from his lap, he said, " Re- 
member, little girl, that the Ohio country is well 
worth waiting a year to see. It is much warmer 
and ever so much more beautiful than New 
England. You will like it better than cold, 
hilly Rutland." 

II 

" Look, IMartha ! " exclaimed Catharine one 
afternoon about a week after Thanksgiving, " is 
that a load of hay ? " 



22 DAYS AND DEJ:DS 

" Why, no, Catharine," answered the older 
child, peering through the dusk at a strange ve- 
hicle drawn by four oxen. "That isn't a load 
of hay. I should think it was a wagon covered 
with black cloth. It looks just like a house on 
wheels. Let us call mother to see it." 

By the time Mrs. Putnam had come into the 
room, the odd black wagon had stopped in front 
of the house. " Wh}^," exclaimed Mrs. Putnam 
suddenly, " it must be the people from Danvers. 
Can you make out the letters on the side? I 
think they say ' For the Ohio.' This means," 
concluded Mrs. Putnam, " that your father will 
start to-morrow^" 

The next morning proved raw and cold 
— a morning when most people v/ould rather 
stay comfortably indoors than begin a four 
months' journey from Massachusetts to Ohio. 
But at the Putnam house there was no time to 
speak of the w^eather. Everything there was in 
commotion and confusion. The large yard was 
filled with carriages which had brought people 
from far and near to watch the setting forth of 
the pioneers ; and the Putnams and the twenty 
Danvers men were busily stowing aw^ay all man- 
ner of tools and provisions in the great black 
wagon. 




" A Strange Vehicle, drawn by Four Oxen." 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 23 

That mysterious covered wagon with its 
staring- white letters was the chief object of in- 
terest to the curious country folk. Martha had 
described it fairly well the night before; it was 
most like a house on wheels. To the home-lov- 
ing Rutland farmers, indeed, the ungainly vehi- 
cle did not suggest a very comfortable or attrac- 
tive house ; but to the little boys it brought 
visions of delight. 

" Why doesn't your father take you, Eidwin?" 
inquired an enthusiastic playmate. 

" He says I'm too small," answered Edwin. 
" But perhajjs," he added, hopefully, " the In- 
dians won't be all killed before I can go; " and 
the thought made hiui a little happier and the 
other boys yet more envious. 

At last there was no excuse for staying any 
longer. 

" Well, neighbors," said the sturdy general, 
" good-bye, all of you. I am going into a new 
country and I shall not come back for a year 
or more; but I will not forget you or what 
you have done for me. Some day you will all 
decide to pack up and go west, too." 

Then he looked down atfectionately upon the 
little group whose welfare was dearer to him 
than his own. He saw his wife struggling 



24: DAYS AND DEEDS 

bravely to smile at him, his manly sons almost 
ready to cry, and his little Catharine sobbing 
vigorously. 

" Do not look on the dark side of our lot," he 
said, cheerily, to his wife and children. " 1 
know all the dangers and how to face them. 
But," he added, " do not worry if you hear 
nothing from me for weeks together. The gov- 
ernment has no mail route beyond Pittsburg, 
and travelers west of the mountains are not very 
numerous. So, good-bye again ! And do not 
grow too fast, Catharine," he said last of all to 
the little girl. 

THE SOI^G OF THE EMIGRANTS 

Ob, glad are the hours of the journey 
That leads over mountainous roads 

To fertile lands and wooded plains, 
And peaceful, fair abodes ! 

There wholesome life and simple sports 

Will foster vigorous health ; 
There industry and jieaee will make 

The way to honest wealth. 

For there no slave can ever be, 

No bondman, black or white ; 
There Freedom's peace shall bless us all, 

And Freedom's voice invite. 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 25 

Aud there the cheerful homes we biiihl 

Shall sturdy youth enfold ; 
Aud faith aud honor shall spring up 

Where Freedom's tale is told. 



Ill 

It was more tlian a year and a half before 
General Putnam returned to Rutland. Even 
then he came only on a visit ; for he had so 
many errands in the East that he could not get 
ready to abandon the Rutland farm. But busy 
and hurried as this visit was, it proved a great 
comfort to Mrs. Putnam and the children. 
There had been letters, of course, but they came 
seldom and so slowly that the news from the 
father was not often less than six weeks old 
when it reached the Massachusetts town. So 
there was a glad welcome for the brave pioneer, 
when after a year and a half of wilderness life, 
he returned for a little while to his place at the 
head of the family table. 

" To go back to the very first," began the gen- 
eral, after he had been for a few minutes under 
a rapid fire of questions, " do you remember, 
mother, how we forgot the bread that morning 
and had to send back for it?" 

" Yes, indeed, and some of the neighbors said 



2G DAYS AND DEEDS 

that bad luck was sure to come," answered Mrs. 
Putnam. 

" But it did not," lauglied the general. 
"Everything went well while I was with the 
Danvers men. The first trouble came about the 
last of January, when I was with the Rutland 
party. By that time we were at the foot of the 
Alleghanies, but to our dismay we found the 
snow so deep that only packhorses had been 
able to cross the mountains. 

" Our only resource then was to build sleds 
and harness the horses one before the other. In 
this manner, with four sleds, and the men 
marching in front to break the trail, we went 
forward. It was the fourteenth of February 
before we came upon the other party, the men 
who left Rutland with me." 

" That meeting was a discouraging experience. 
Five of the Danvers men were sick with small- 
pox. No boat had been built or even begun ; 
in fact, there were no boards or planks ready, 
for the mill had frozen. But in time the sick 
men got well ; warmer weather came ; and 
finally we built our boat and started down the 
stream. By the way, what do you suppose we 
named our boat ? " 

" The Washington," suggested Abigail. 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 27 

** The Cutler," answered Persis. 

'' The Putnaoi," spoke the loyal Catharine. 

" No, you are all wrong. The men fancied 
we were like the Pilgrims seeking a new coun- 
try. Now can you guess? " 

" The Mayflower ! " cried everybody. 

" Yes, the Mayflower ; and she landed at 
Marietta, April seventh. I wonder if you know 
why we called our town Marietta? Every one 
of us admired the French queen, Marie Antoi- 
nette, because she has treated the Americans so 
well. And we named our town for her. Do 
you see how, Martha?" 

" Why, you took the first part and the last 
part," decided the child. " It makes a pretty 
name, but I never heard of that French queen." 

'' I will tell you about her some day. Just 
now I think you would rather hear how we 
celebrated our first Fourth of July. 

" We fired salutes, of course, at sunrise and 
sunset, and w^e made speeches, just as Rutland 
people have done these thirteen years. But we 
did more than that. We had a dinner party, 
such as Rutland never saw. 

" Hitherto we had had little time to spare for 
cooking or eating, and now we thought that we 
deserved a holiday. We decided to have an 



28 DAYS AND DEEDS 

outdoor picnic. So we set our tables under the 
trees by the river and loaded them with all 
manner of good things. Some one caught a 
giant pike, the largest fresh water fish I have 
ever seen, and we cooked that. Then we roasted 
several deer and a good many wild turkeys. It 
was too early for many vegetables, but we had 
peas in abundance. We had planted as soon as 
we reached Marietta, and things grow rapidly 
in Ohio. 

'' We stayed at the tables all the afternoon, 
for after we finished eating we made speeches 
and drew up a code of laws for our village. 
Where do you suppose we fastened the laws so 
as to have them in plain sight? " 

No one ventured an opinion, and the general 
answered his own question. " We posted them 
on the trunk of a tree, where everybody in 
Marietta could see them. 

" After the Fourth, Marietta seemed more like 
a town of the United States. Still it did not 
resemble a New England village very strongly, 
for it had few houses and no real streets." 

" But why were there not more houses, 
father? Where did all the people live? " asked 
Martha. 

" I was speaking of houses like those in New 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 29 

England," her father explained. " Most of us 
lived then at * Campus Martius ' or the * field of 
war,' where we could defend ourselves from the 
Indians. I'll tell you what ' Campus Martius ' 
looks like, if I can. 

" A long time ago, — I can't tell how many 
hundred years — some people whom we call 
* mound-builders ' lived in Marietta. Why they 
built their earthen mounds it is somewhat hard 
to tell. Perhaps they were used for graves. But 
one of these great mounds we made the foun- 
dation of ' Campus Martius,' our fortified settle- 
ment. 

"The buildings are in the form of a hollow 
square. At the corners of the square we built 
high blockhouses to which we could flee from 
the Indians if they attacked us, and from which 
we could easily fire upon them. Between the 
blockhouses, along the sides or curtains, we 
built smaller dwelling houses, and in the large 
open space in the middle of the square we dug 
our well. 

"In this way we made a little village where 
we could feel secure in case of Indian attacks. 
As yet, I am glad to say that we have not 
had to take refuge many times in the block- 
houses ; instead we use one for a church and 



30 DAYS AND DEEDS 

court-house, and last winter we made one into a 
schoolroom." 

"Oh, dear !" grumbled Edwin, who did not 
like to study. " I thought there couldn't be 
any school out west." 

'^ You foolish boy ! " said his father, reprov- 
ingly. " What sort of nation can you help to 
build if you do not know a great deal more than 
you know now? Indeed," he continued, "we 
mean in time to make the schools in Ohio as 
good as those in New England. But I suppose, 
Edwin, you would rather hear about the In- 
dians than about our schoolhouse, would 3'OU 
not?" 

" Yes, father, indeed I should," Edwin an- 
swered honestly. 

IV 

"The Indians," began the general, "are the 
worst enemies of Marietta. As yet they have 
not troubled us much, but they are not to be 
trusted, and at any time they may make an at- 
tack. When we were building ' Campus Mar- 
tins,' they were friendly enough and even wel- 
comed us cordially. A good many times since 
they have bedecked themselves with all their 
finery and have come to call on us. I wish you 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 31 

might have seen a caller that we had not long 
ago. It was a squaw, Madam Zanes, and she 
wore more jewelry than I had ever before seen 
on one person. We counted three hundred 
brooches pinned upon her clothing. 

" But lately we have thought it best to make 
a treaty with the Indians. They may not keep 
their agreement ; still, if they understand that 
we are dealing honestly with them, perhaps they 
will be honest, too. 

" It is not an easy thing to make a treaty with 
Indians, for they are crafty and easily angered. 
I sent them a message at first something like 
this : — 

" ' Brothers : I have just come from the great 
council-fire of the United States, where 
the great and good chief General Wash- 
ington resides. I am coming with the 
wishes of his heart to you, which are 
very good.' " 

" Why, father, that doesn't sound at all like 
the way you talk," said Catharine, in astonish- 
ment. 

^' True, my child, but the Indians would not 
have understood me if I had spoken about 
President Washington, who lives in New York, 
the capital of our nation. All their great men 



32 DAYS AND DEEDS 

are chiefs and all their gatherings council-fires. 
Then 1 went on to say : — 

" ' Brothers : Out of love to you I am come 
this long way. I wish you to become a 
happy people. So let us consult each 
other in a friendly and brotherly man- 
ner. Let us wipe oft' all tears, and let us 
set our hearts aright. 

" ' Brothers : You see something very good 
preparing for you. Make yourselves 
ready and come and see what it is.' " 

"And did they come, father?" the younger 
children asked almost in one breath. 

" Yes, indeed, they came, wearing all the 
finery they possessed. There were two hundred 
of them, and with their glistening knives and 
tomahawks and their long feathers and gay war 
paint and the few scarlet coats and white shirts 
that the British had given them, they were a 
rather frightful looking set of men. Edwin 
might have liked to see them, but they were too 
grotesque to please most people. I hardly knew 
how to speak sensibly to these vain persons, but 
I believe I said something like this : — 

"^Brothers: I thank you for coming to see 
me. Let us have a happy council-fire. 
Let us remember that we are brothers, 



FKOM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 33 

and that brothers are friends, not foes. 
The white men want to be at peace with 
the red men. They want to live near 
them and help them. They want the 
chiefs of the white men and the chiefs of 
the red men to make their people friends.' 

" And then the old chief arose. He was a tall, 
fierce-looking man whom 1 should not want for 
an enemy. But he was pleased, 1 think, if he 
did scowl and look solemn, for he made a 
friendly speech. As nearly as I can remember, 
this is what he said : — 

" ' My Older Brother : I rejoice from my 
heart to see you. My body is not only 
come here, but my heart is here to speak 
to you. 

'"i/// Older Brother: The old chiefs will 
hear and make you answer. The white 
people have more sense than we who have 
a yellow color. 

" * My Older Brother : Take this pipe and 
present it to your great chief. General 
Washington. We expect that he will 
smoke out of it. 

" ' My Older Brother : Here is a belt which 
we request you to deliver to the great 
chief. General Washington. Salute him 



34 DAYS AND DEEDS 

for US all, and tell him that all have 
made peace.' 

" That was a i)retty good speech from the old 
Indian, a better one than we had hoped lor. 
So we signed a treaty, in which the Indians 
agreed not to molest the white men in their 
homes, and we in turn promised to take no 
lands for which we did not pay a fair price. 
And now, Catharine,'' said the general, abrnptly, 
" how do you like Marietta ? " 

" I like everything about it except the In- 
dians," the little girl replied. " 1 know they 
will frighten me, but I wish I could hear you 
talk to them." 

" Indeed, I hope I may not have to invite 
them to make another treaty. And I think 
there is no doubt that the Indian troubles will 
be settled soon, perhaps before I take you to 
Marietta. N^o," spoke the general, seeming to 
forget his listeners and to think aloud, " I shall 
not be sorry for these months away from you all, 
if Ohio becomes the state we are trying to make 
it — a place where peaceful, thrifty people may 
go to make an honest living, where education 
shall be always encouraged, and where slavery 
shall be forbidden forever. We hope, mother," 



FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO OHIO 35 

he concluded, '' that it will be a good place for 
our children ; and you and I cannot be sorry 
to live away from old New England if we see 
our boys and girls happy and prosperous in 
Ohio." 

Learn : — 

Houor and fame aud freedom aud empire and the faith 
of America went with him [General Pntnam] as he 
crossed the threshold, — Hoti. Gcoiyc F. llvar. 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 



One April morning in 1789 three little girls 
sat primly upon three haircloth chairs in Major 
Howell's parlor at Trenton, New Jersey. They 
were three Sarahs — Sarah Howell, Sarah Airy, 
and Sarah Collins — but they w^ere better known 
by the names Sarah Howell had given them, 
" You, Sarah Airy," she had said, " are Sarah 
A. ; I am Sarah B., for Sarah B. Howell ; and 
of course Sarah Collins is Sarah C." 

This Monday morning Sarah A. and Sarah C. 
had come to Sarah B.'s house to go with her 
and Mrs. Howell to the house of Mr. Armstrong, 
the minister. Mrs. Howell was not quite ready 
to start, and Sarah B. had just proposed a play. 
" Let us pretend that we are ladies, and that 
you are making a call on me," she said, speak- 
ing to both her little friends at once. And as 
the three sat stiffly down, she added, " We can 
talk about the new president, for all mother's 
callers do that now." 

36 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 37 

There was a short silence. Then Sarah B. 
felt her responsibility as hostess and said with a 
grown-up air, " What a wise choice the electors 
have made in General Washington ! " That 
was a safe remark, she knew, for she had heard 
it many times in the past week. 

"Yes," agreed Sarah A., recalling a conversa- 
tion she had overheard, " General Washington 
has saved our country. Now he will make our 
nation." 

" And how glad I am," quoted Sarah C., 
" that Trenton is to do its part in honoring him 
on his way to New York ! How fortunate, too, 
that we have a poet in Major Howell ! " 

Sarah B. heard this last remark with a proud 
heart. " Of course," she thought, " it isn't 
proper for me to answer that." So she looked 
hopefully at Sarah A., who did her best to meet 
the occasion. 

" He is indeed a poet of dispute," she agreed, 
airily, as became her name. 

"Oh, no, Sarah A., you mean repute," spoke 
Sarah C, forgetting the game. 

" Maybe I do," answered Sarah A., doubtfully. 
Then as she heard a smothered laugh from 
Major Howell in the next room, she became a 
little girl again at once. " That's a stupid 



38 DAYS AND DEEDS 

game," she declared. " Why not play some- 
thing else ? " 

" There is not time, children," answered Mrs. 
Howell, coming into the parlor. " We must 
start this very minute." And the three Sarahs, 
joining hands, set out happily for the minister's. 

A few days before. General Washington, who 
had just been elected the first president of the 
United States, had started from his home at 
Mt. Vernon for New York to take the oath of 
office, or to be inaugurated. He was traveling 
slowly, for it was before the days of railroads, 
and besides, he was obliged to stop all along the 
way to receive the homage of a grateful people. 

The citizens of Trenton were not to be out- 
done by any other town on the route. They 
had decided that at the bridge over the creek 
where Washington had captured a body of Hes- 
sians he should now ride beneath a triumphal 
arch. More than this, thirteen young ladies 
and six little girls were to scatter flowers in his 
path and join their mothers in singing a tri- 
umph song. 

That song was the poem Major Howell had 
written, and this Monday morning Mr. Arm- 
strong was to teach it to the ladies and their 
daughters. 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 39 

" The song goes very well," said the minister, 
as his visitors went home. " But I should like 
one more rehearsal, at the bridge to-morrow 
morning." 

" I wish it were supper-time," said Sarah B. 
^on her way home to dinner. '' This day goes 
so slowly." 

When Tuesday morning came, the first 
glimpse of the great day brought disappoint- 
ment, for the three Sarahs looked out of their 
windows, upon a dismal rain. 

"Oh, dear ! " said Sarah A. 

" Oh, dear ! " said Sarah B. 

" Oh, dear ! " said Sarah C, although not one 
of them had any idea that both the others were 
sa3nng the very same thing at the same time. 

" But it is April," each little girl heard in 
answer. '' The sun w^ill probably come out by 
noon. Now we must hurry to the bridge." 

" The carpenters have finished building the 
arch," said Mrs. Howell on the way. " We 
shall have a full morning's work to trim it." 

"Are you going to let us help, mother?" 
asked Sarah B. eagerly. 

" You can help by carrying the flowers, per- 
haps," her mother answered. " But you are 
not tall enough to help much in the decorating." 



40 DAYS AXD DEEDS 

The weather persisted in being disagreeable 
most of the morning, but spite of clouds, the 
women and girls sang the triumph song and 
trimmed the lofty arch. The little girls stayed 
awhile to help, but after an hour or so they 
were told they must go home. Sarah B. almost, 
cried at the command, but Mrs. Howell said 
decidedly, " You will be tired enough as it is. 
And besides," she whispered, " I know a great 
treat in store for Sarah B. if she is a good 
girl." 

The little girls took their sorrowful leave of 
the merry workers and the splendid arch. 
" Isn't it beautiful ! " exclaimed Sarah A., as 
they stopped to look back at the arch, which 
stretched clear across the road and was sup- 
ported by six pillars on one side and by seven 
on the other. 

" Why didn't they make it even, with six 
pillars on each side? " asked Sarah C. curiously. 

" Don't you know why there are thirteen 
pillars ? It is because there are thirteen states 
in our country," promptly returned Sarah B. 
" And mother told me what the decorations 
mean, too," she went on. " Do you see those 
pink and white flowers mixed with the ever- 
green that is twined about the pillars ? That's 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 41 

laurel, and it's a sign that Washington was vic- 
torious in battle." 

** And are those festoons inside made of laurel, 
too ? " asked Sarah C. 

" Yes, mostly ; but I saw mother put some 
other flowers with the laureL" 

" There's nothing quite so pretty as that blue 
and gold motto, though," said Sarah A. " I 
wish it were on this side the arch, so we could 
see it from here. But they want it where 
Washington can see it as he rides up, I suppose." 

" The letters are pretty," said Sarah B. " But 
I like it because it tells about us." 

" Does it ? " said Sarah A. wonderingly. " I 
thought it was about Washington." 

" Why, it says ' The defender of the mothers 
will be the protector of the daughters.' We 
are the daughters, you know, and Washington 
defended our mothers when he kept away the 
wicked British and Hessians before we were 
born," explained Sarah B. impressively. 

" And what's the sunflower for, at the very 
top? Do you know that, too, Sarah B. ? " in- 
quired Sarah C. 

'' I know what mother said. She told me it 
was to show that General Washington was the 
only sun to give life and warmth to the body 



42 DAYS AND DEEDS 

politic. Somebody called her away before she 
could ask her what she meant by ' body politic' " 

" Well, General Washington will understand," 
answered Sarah A. " And the sunflower is 
handsome, anyway." 

After a nap and an early dinner, the three 
Sarahs, in stiff white muslins, and holding bas- 
kets of flowers in their hands, stood well to the 
front among a large company of women and 
girls waiting at the bridge for Washington's 
party. There were few men or boys on the 
spot, for Major Howell,. Mr. Armstrong, and 
several other prominent citizens had gone to es- 
cort General Washington into the city, and most 
of the other men and the boys had gone, too. 

The April sun had come out gloriously by 
this time, so that the hour of waiting was hot 
and tiresome. The little girls grew so uneasy 
that again and again they ran impatiently 
through the arch and across the bridge for the 
first sight of the procession. At last somebody 
cried, " Look ! look ! There they come ! " 
Somebody else said, " Children, get your places," 
and it was scarcely any time before the six 
children, with their baskets of flowers on their 
arms, had scampered to their places by the road- 
side and were waiting excitedly. 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 43 

Nearer and nearer came the procession. Men 
on horseback rode first through the arch ; be- 
hind them were soldiers on foot. But it was 
the tall, dignified man who rode slowly behind 
the soldiers that people watched most eagerly. 
This was General Washington, whose wisdom 
and perseverance had done so much to make 
victory possible in the great war with England. 
As the hero approached, it seemed to the on- 
lookers as if he was thinking " thank you " with 
all his heart, for as he rode slowly upon the 
bridge, he took off his hat respectfully. 

Just as he entered the arch, Mrs. Armstrong 
gave the signal and the song began. Every- 
body sang the first lines : 

^ ' Welcome, mighty chief, once more, 
Welcome to this grateful shore ! 
Now no mercenary foe 
Aims at thee the fatal blow," 

and then the girls finished the stanza alone : 

'^ Aims at thee the fatal blow." 

The girls began the next verse, " Virgins 
fair," and their mothers sang, " and matrons 
grave." Then all sang together : 



44 DAYS AND DEEDS 

" These thy conquering arm did save 
Build for thee triumphal bowers." 

Then the matrons sang alone : 

'' Strew, ye fair, his way with flowers," 

and at the word, the girls scattered their flowers 
gracefully in Washington's path and finished 
the song themselves with the line : 

"Strew your hero's w^ay with flowers." 

It was a most impressive scene, and no one there 
ever forgot how the simple tribute of flowers and 
song made the beloved general's eyes grow dim 
with grateful tears. 

" How tall and handsome he was ! " Sarah B. 
confided to her mother, as she gazed admiringly 
after the procession. " And he looked good, 
too ! If he had only said something ! " 

But though the modest general could not find 
voice to thank the little girls who had helped to 
give him one of the happiest moments of his 
life, he was even then planning how he might 
show his gratitude ; and before he rode away 
from Trenton, he wrote this letter : 

" General Washington cannot leave this place 
without expressing his acknowledgments to the 




"The Girls scattered Flowers in Washington's Path." 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 45 

matrons and young ladies who received him in 
so novel and grateful a manner at the triumphal 
arch in Trenton. . . . The elegant taste 
with which it was adorned , . . and the in- 
nocent appearance of the white robed choir 
. . . have made such impression on his re- 
membrance, as, he hopes, will never be effaced. 
" Trenton, April 21, 1789." 

That night three tired Sarahs took off their 
white dresses and sleepily recalled bits of the 
most thrilling day of their lives. But sleepy as 
she was, Sarah B. had a question to ask. 
" Mother, have I been good to-day? " 

" You know best, Sarah B. But why do you 
ask?" 

" Don't you remember how you said this 
morning that there was a treat in store for me 
if I was good?" 

'' And so there is, dear child. But I don't 
want to tell you to-night. To-morrow you 
shall know." 

Sarah B. was too sleepy to care much for the 
delay. She would know soon. Meantime — the 
blue silk curtains that hung around her bed ap- 
peared to change into an enormous arch, and 
her soft feather bed seemed a garden of fragrant 
flowers. She played and sang there all night. 



46 BAYS AND DEEDS 

II 

The next morning Major Howell said, " Sarah 
B., do you know why Washington is going to 
New York?" 

" Why, yes. He is going to be president and 
live there, isn't he?" she answered, wondering 
a little why her father asked so easy a question. 

" That's right," Major Howell replied. '' But 
before he can be president, he has to be inau- 
gurated. That is," in reply to Sarah B.'s ques- 
tioning look, " he has to promise that he will 
serve his country faithfully. In about a week 
he will make this promise publicly, and your 
mother and I are going to New York to hear 
him. Would you like to go, too ? " 

For a moment Sarah B. looked dazed. Go to 
New York ? See the inauguration ? Have an- 
other look at General Washington ? She had 
never been farther than Princeton in all her life. 
She ansAvered with an almost breathless ques- 
tion, " Are 3'ou really going to take me, 
father?" 

It was nearly a week before Sarah B. could 
quite believe her good fortune. Then, on Tues- 
day morning, April 28th, she actually found 
herself on top of a tally-ho coach riding out of 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 47 

Trenton towards New York. The Howells 
planned to spend two days on the journey and 
intended to reach the capital on Wednesday, 
the evening before the inauguration. 

When Sarah B. looked out of her window 
Thursday morning, after her first night in New 
York, she was puzzled. She was looking upon 
a large, vacant lot where a good many tents w^ere 
pitched. Could there be soldiers inside? 

" Mother," she called, " is this the place where 
the inauguration is going to be?" 

''No, Sarah B.," replied Mrs. Howell, "the 
inauguration will be held a long distance from 
here. These tents are occupied by strangers 
who could not find room at the taverns. New 
York never held so many people before." 

" Yes," added Major Howell, who had just 
come in from an early morning walk, " the city 
is running over with visitors. The town seems 
full of happiness and fresh paint." 

Inauguration day was one long delight to 
Sarah B. The ceremony was not to occur till 
noon, but all the morning, guns were fired, bells 
rang, and children shouted, just as on the noisiest 
Fourth of July. Sarah B., however, did not go 
out-of-doors till nearly noon ; then Major Howell 
took his family to seats upon a house-top, where 



48 DAYS AND DEEDS 

they could see and hear the whole ceremony. 
The streets were lined with people ; and as 
Sarah B. looked around from her seat opposite 
Federal Hall, where the inauguration would 
take place, she could scarcely believe her eyes. 
She had never expected to be sitting on the top 
of a house and she had not supposed there were 
so many people in all the United States. 

But why were the people shouting so and 
waving their hats and handkerchiefs? In an 
instant she knew without asking. Down there, 
in a splendid chariot, drawn by four prancing 
horses, sat the president-elect, tall, stately, and 
serious, just as he had looked at Trenton. 

It was several minutes before Sarah B. had 
another good look at her hero. Meantime, she 
grew interested in a conversation she could not 
help overhearing. Some young ladies near her 
w^ere talking excitedly, and one said : " But I 
have seen him, and though I had been ignorant 
that he had arrived, I should have known him. 
I never saw a human being look so grand and 
noble. I could fall on my knees before him and 
bless him." 

Sarah B. heard no more, for Washington had 
entered Federal Hall, and now was standing 
upon the balcony between two pillars. While 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 49 

he was advancing, the shouting had been deaf- 
ening ; but now the tumult gradually died away 
and the whole multitude became silent, as it 
scanned the person of the greatest hero of the 
day and waited for the words that were to set in 
operation the grandest government in the world. 

General Washington seemed overcome by the 
heartiness of his Avelcome. He bowed with 
great gravity several times, but he did not say a 
word. " He looks as he did when we scattered 
the flowers," thought Sarah B. 

After a moment he came forward farther, and 
stepped to the top of a great stone, so that every 
one saw him plainly. He looked quite the tall- 
est man Sarah B. had ever seen, and she was 
sure he was the handsomest and the best dressed 
in the country. He wore a suit of dark brown 
or of black velvet, she was never quite certain 
which, with white stockings, and shoes with 
silver buckles. His head, of course, was un- 
covered, and his hair, after the fashion of the 
day, was powdered and tied behind with a large 
bow. 

On one side of Washington stood John Adams, 
the vice president ; on the other side was Chan- 
cellor Livingston, who was to administer the 
oath of office ; while between Washington and 



50 DAYS AND DEEDS 

Livingston was Secretary Otis, holding an open 
Bible on a crimson cushion. 

A gesture from the chancellor arrested every 
one's attention. Amid a breathless silence, he 
looked at Washington, and then, clearly and 
slowly he asked the question so full of meaning 
to every loyal heart : " Do you solemnly swear 
that you will faithfully execute the office of 
President of the United States, and will, to the 
best of your ability, preserve, protect, and defend 
the Constitution of the United States? " 

Otis raised the Bible. Washington bent down 
to kiss it ; and as he did so, he said audibly, 
" I swear " ; and then with closed eyes he added 
the prayer, " So help me, God." 

" It is done," spoke the chancellor ; and turn- 
ing to the spectators, he waved his hand and ex- 
claimed, '' Long live George Washington, Presi- 
dent of the United States ! " 

Then the whole city burst forth into acts and 
shouts of praise. Seemingl}^ of its own accord, 
a flag floated on the cupola of Federal Hall. All 
the bells in the city rang ; the people shouted 
and wept and waved their hats and handker- 
chiefs. To her amazement, Sarah B. found her- 
self wiping away the tears, though why she 
cried, she could not tell. Her mother told her 



THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON 51 

afterwards that she stood up and shouted with 
the rest, but the little girl had no recollection of 
rising from her seat. In all her after life, Sarah 
B. never saw a multitude so deeply moved. 

After a while the sound of shouting died, and 
the crowd dispersed. President Washington re- 
turned to Federal Hall to deliver his inaugural 
address to the Senate and the House of Repre- 
sentatives ; but the Howells, with many others, 
went directly to St. Paul's chapel, where the 
president would come a little later. Sarah B. 
expected to see her hero ride to the church in 
that splendid chariot of the morning, but in this 
she was disappointed. The man whom the na- 
tion praised did not care for parade, but, like 
the humblest citizen, he walked to the church, 
where all men are equal. 

The rejoicing over the new president lasted 
far into the night. That evening it seemed to 
Sarah B. that she walked through fairyland. 
The streets were ablaze with light ; the heavens 
were brilliant with fireworks ; and out in the 
harbor there was a great ship at anchor, looking 
like a vast pyramid of stars that had fallen from 
the sparkling sky. But most wonderful of all 
were the transparencies in front of the public 
buildings and the more important dwelling- 



52 DAYS AND DEEDS 

houses. They were so wonderful that Sarah B. 
almost held her breath for fear the beautiful 
visions would vanish as she looked. 

When all the Sarahs were together again at 
Major Howell's, the fortunate one had a long 
story to tell. This time the little girls did not 
play that they were grown people, for they could 
not talk fast enough that way. Instead, the two 
callers asked all manner of questions, and drew 
deep breaths of envious admiration when they 
heard about the fireworks, the ship, the flags, 
and the transparencies. 

" Oh," sighed Sarah B. at last, as recollections 
rushed and crowded, '' sometimes I think I 
dreamed it after all ! " 

But as Sarah B. grew to be a woman, that 
inauguration week settled into the most definite 
memory of her childhood. It was her earliest 
lesson in patriotism, and she learned it well ; 
for the simple inaugural ceremony helped her 
to understand how great and good was the man 
whom all his countrymen delighted to honor, 
and who molded the sentiment of the young 
nation after his own pure pattern of nobility. 

Learn : — 
Integrity and firmness are all I can promise. — From 
Washington'' s letter accepting Ms election to the presidency. 



THE STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 



" Louisa, have you seen Mr. Whitney this 
morning? " inquired Mrs. Greene one pleasant 
forenoon in March, as she came upon her little 
daughter in the orange grove. 

" No, mother, not since breakfast. It may be 
that he is in that room where he stays so much. 
Shall I find out for you ? " 

" No, Louisa, I will go myself. You know I 
am not willing that you should disturb Mr, 
Whitney," 

Mrs. Greene was turning away, when Louisa's 
brother Nathaniel came running up with three 
large oranges, " See what fine ones these are," 
he said, offering one to his mother and another 
to his sister, " If you would let me go to Mr. 
Whitney's room, mother, I should like to take 
him an orange," he added, mischievously, 

" No, Nathaniel," answered Mrs. Greene, with 
a bit of reproof in her voice, " You know very 
well that you are not to interrupt Mr, Whitney. 
But I will take him the orange." 

53 



54 DAYS AND DEEDS 

As Mrs. Greene walked towards the house, 
the cliildreii looked after her curiously. 
"Where's Mr. Miller?" asked Nathaniel, ab- 
ruptly, as his mother disappeared through a 
door leading to the basement. Mr. Miller was a 
lawyer who was living with the Greenes, help- 
ing to settle the estate of the children's father. 

" Downstairs, too, J sui)pose," answered 
Louisa. " I saw him go into the house a while 
ago. Oh, dear, 1 wish we knew just exactly 
what Mr. Whitney is making ! " she sighed. 

" But weren't we fortunate to find out that 
he's making anything at all?" answered her 
brother, consolingly. " Martha and Cornelia 
think he's studying law. What a joke ! " 

" Of course," remarked Louisa in a rather 
lofty way, " we know better than that. We 
know he is making a machine that will do some- 
thing to cotton." 

" But just listen, Louisa!" And Nathaniel 
went over the reasoning he had used so often in 
the past few weeks. " Mr. Whitney walked all 
the way to Savannah and l)ack just to get some 
cotton with the seeds in it ; so, of course, he is ex- 
perimenting with the seeds. And we both heard 
mother ask him last fall if there wasn't a way 
to get the seeds out by machinery. Don't you 



STORY OF THE COTTOX GIX 56 

8ee, }i(; must bo making a machine to clc-ari the 
cotton ? " 

" I think he is, Xatlianiel," said Louisa. 
" liut I want to know, don't you '( " 

" Y(^s, I do," h(;r brother admitted. "Still 
wc' know well enougb. Am'J won't Aunt I)in;ib 
[jc pl<'a.~.<'d ? " he went on. "You know how 
iiard it is for her to pick tlie seeds out after she 
has been stooping in the hot sun all day." 

"Oh, Natljaniel ! " exclaimed Louisa, quiUi 
possessed by a new and happy thought. " You 
know the .song Aunt I)inah sings when she's 
picking cotton, don't you? f^e-t us go down to 
the basement iK-ar that room they've locked 
themselves into, and sing tiiat. Tli'-n they will 
suspect lb;d we have found out the secr(;t." 

" Conie on!" cried Nathaniel, seizirjg her 
hand. " Perhaps they will let us in when they 
find that we know," he gasped a minute later, 
when they were almost at the house. 

Unhappily for the curious musicians, they did 
not get the invitfition they wanted, and they 
went away no wiser than they came. Could 
they hiive looke-d \\\\<) the closed room, however, 
they would have been jublhmt (enough. 

Til ere were .Mr. Whitne\', .Mrs. Greene, and 
Mr. Miller standing about a table in a corner. 



56 DAYS AND DEEDS 

examining something made of wood, wire, and 
brushes. " I have attached so mucli wire since 
yesterday," Mr. Whitney was explaining. " But, 
hark ! " he said. '' Hear those little rogues ! " 

And they all listened to the song that came 
from outside : 

' ' Oil, de cotton fields am white an' de pickers is but few, 
Save me, Lord, from sinkiu' down ; 
If your fingers isn't nimble, sure you nebber will get 
troo, 
Save me, Lord, from sinkiu' down ; 
If your bags is very light, den de overseer's lash, 

Save me, Lord, from sinkiu' down ; 
If you're lafiQu' in de mornin', den at night your teef 
will gnash. 
Save me. Lord, from sinkiu' down ! " 

" Do you suppose," Mr. Miller asked in some 
surprise, as the song ended, " that those children 
have any idea of what Eli is doing? " 

" Well, I'm pretty sure," answered Mrs. 
Greene, " that they were wondering a good deal 
about it when I left them in the orange grove. 
And of course I think they are rather bright 
children." 

" It is too bad to make them live all winter in 
the midst of such mystery," said Mr. Whitney. 

" They are so young, they like it," answered 




Aunt Dinah in the Cotton Field. 



STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 57 

Mrs. Greene. " It is Martha and Cornelia who 
are just a little troubled by what they think is 
lack of confidence, for they feel themselves 
young ladies now." 

*' But in two weeks or so," said Mr. Whitney, 
" there will be no more need of secrecy. Then 
my machine will be ready to run a race with 
fifty black women in picking out the cotton 
seeds. I truly think," continued the young 
mechanic, " that you will find the invention 
useful enough to repay you for all the kindness 
you have shown me since last September. I am 
almost glad now that I didn't get the chance to 
teach that I expected." 

" The invention will succeed, I know," an- 
swered Mrs. Greene, unwilling to hear anything 
more said of her own goodness in giving a home 
to the disappointed boy from Massachusetts. 
" And should it fail," she continued, " you have 
made so many useful things for me and the 
children that even now I am in j^our debt. But 
there is the dinner bell. Let us go upstairs." 

At dinner Nathaniel and Louisa heard some- 
thing that almost made up for their disappoint- 
ment of half an hour before. '' I am thinking 
of having a party in two or three weeks," their 
motlier announced. 



58 DAYS AND DEEDS 

A party ! That meant a gala day indeed, 
with company, and best clothes, and delicious 
things to eat. Everybody looked interested, 
and Louisa's face beamed with delight. 

" I am going to invite several plantation 
owners from all over the state," continued Mrs. 
Greene. 

"Shall you invite the army officers who were 
here last fall and said very kind things about 
father ? " asked Cornelia. 

" Yes, I mean to invite them and a number of 
other gentlemen, besides," her mother answered. 
" And, children," she added, " on the day of the 
party you shall all know Mr. Whitney's secret. 
But there must be no more teasing him, remem- 
ber." 

" We will remember, mother," promised Na- 
thaniel for them all. " But Louisa and I know 
the secret now," he added confidently. 

IT 

For the next two weeks Mrs. Greene's planta- 
tion was the busiest place round about. Even 
the sun and the rain seemed to understand that 
Mulberry Grove must look its best to receive its 
distinguished visitors, and took turns in making 
the trees and growing crops attractive. 



STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 59 

But during these days the children waited 
more curiously than ever. For even the theory 
that Mr. Whitney was trying to clean cotton by 
machinery could not explain everything. There 
was a new mystery now. The overseer had or- 
dered two of the best negro workmen to erect a 
small building not far from the house. What 
could that log hut be intended for? No wonder 
the children were puzzled ; for already, besides 
the large, rambling dwelling house at Mulberry 
Grove, there were stables and a coach-house, a 
large out-kitchen, a poultry-house, a pigeon- 
house, and a fine smoke-house. Why should 
Mrs. Greene need another building? 

The log house could not be for the use of the 
slaves, because it was too near Mrs. Greene's own 
dwelling. Moreover, the building was not 
finished like a house. It had only one room 
and that was dark when the door was shut. 
The door was heavy, however, and had a strong 
lock, just like the doors of a good many 
houses. 

This mystery was too deep even for the im- 
aginative children, and one day the little girl 
said daringly, " Mr. Whitney, can you think of 
anything that a small dark house with only one 
room could be used for? " 



60 DAYS AND DEEDS 

" If you cannot guess, Louisa," he answered, 
" I don't think I'd better try." 

Louisa was silenced. " 1 think," she told 
Nathaniel afterwards, " that he was making- 
fun of me. Still," she added, " he probably 
knows that we have guessed what his machine 
is for." 

One sunny April day the mysteries of the 
closed room and the new house were revealed 
together. Just before noon there arrived at 
Mulberry Grove several of the leading gentlemen 
of Georgia, and soon Nathaniel and Louisa were 
summoned to the drawing-room to meet the 
visitors. " Here are my two youngest children, 
gentlemen," explained Mrs. Greene. " This is 
my son Nathaniel, his father's namesake, and 
this is little Louisa, whom her father never 
saw." 

Presently the visitors fell to talking of gallant 
General Greene, " Next to General Washington, 
the bravest officer," they declared, " of all the 
Continental army." 

By this time the children were enjoying the 
party to the full, and their faces were rosy with 
pride and pleasure. And what was their mother 
saying? "Dinner is served, gentlemen. My 
children have looked forward so eagerly to 



STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 61 

meeting their father's old friends that they are 
all, even Louisa, to eat with us to-day." 

"Isn't this the best party we ever had?" 
whispered Louisa, as she and Nathaniel walked 
behind the visitors to the dining-room. 

" Yes ; and probably mother will tell the 
secret at dinner," Nathaniel whispered in return. 

That was just what happened. Towards the 
close of the meal the children heard their 
mother saying : " Gentlemen, those of you who 
were here last fall will recall the talk we had 
about increasing the cotton crop in Georgia. 
You were wondering if some quick way might 
not be discovered of taking out the seeds, for in 
that case we could raise large quantities of cotton 
for exportation. I remember that I said to you 
then : ' Gentlemen, apply to my young friend, 
Mr. Whitney. He can make anything.' I be- 
lieve that statement now more firmly than I did 
then ; for this winter Mr. Whitney has con- 
structed the very machine we need. It will 
pick the seeds out of the cotton thoroughly and 
quickly — indeed, it will clean as much cotton 
in one day as my fastest slave, old Dinah, can 
clean in fifty days." 

The visitors were amazed, and congratulated 
Mr. W'hitnov with much warmth. " We can 



62 DAYS AND DEEDS 

scarcely credit such a story," they said, " it 
seems so wonderful. But if your machine 
is a success, it will bring a great future to the 
South." 

" Indeed, gentlemen," said Mrs. Greene, " to 
make you perfectly certain of the worth of the 
invention, we will take you after dinner to see 
the new machine. It is in the small building 
you may have noticed not far from the house." 

Now the Greene children were well-behaved, 
and a hundred years ago well-behaved children 
never spoke at the table, if, indeed, they were 
fortunate enough to eat with their elders at all. 
But Nathaniel and Louisa were so glad to think 
that they had guessed the great secret and to 
know what use was to be made of the new 
building, that they looked triumphantly at each 
other, while Louisa whispered excitedly and 
loud enough for most of the guests to hear, " Oh, 
Nathaniel, we did guess it, didn't we?" 

After dinner the whole company went at once 
to inspect the cotton gin, as Mr. Whitney called 
his machine. There in the middle of the new 
building it stood — a rather small, box-like affair 
with a handle that could be turned. 

Louisa's first view was disappointing. " I 
thought it would fill the room," she told her 



STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 03 

brother. " Just think, Mr. Whitney worked on 
it all winter ! " 

But now Mr. Whitney had put some green 
seed cotton into the hopper and was turning the 
crank. The machine worked precisely as its 
inventor expected : the sharp wire teeth that re- 
volved when the crank was turned tore the cot- 
ton apart, so that the seeds fell out ; these seeds 
were retained in the hopper because of their 
size, but a brush seized the bits of cotton and 
carried them, clean and fluffy, into another 
compartment. 

" Wonderful ! " " Marvelous ! " exclaimed 
those who found any voice at all. 

" Of course you will get a patent at once," 
some one said at last to the young inventor. 

" I hardly know what to do, sir," Mr. Whit- 
ney answered. " 1 planned, upon graduation 
from Yale, to be a lawyer, and I feel that it may 
be better for me to carry out that idea than to 
attempt to make money from this or any other 
invention." 

" But your future is made, young man," the 
older gentleman insisted. " Is it possible that 
you do not see what the cotton gin will do for 
the South?" 

"I do think, sir," modestly answered Mr. 



64 DAYS AND DEEDS 

Whitney, ** that it is a valuable invention. But 
I am not sure that it will be easy to patent the 
machine. I am half inclined to think that it is 
better for me to keep to the law." 

Like wildfire the news of Eli Whitney's cotton 
gin spread over the state, and crowds flocked to 
Mulberry Grove for a glimpse of the new ma- 
chine. 

" The people are crazy over the prospect, Eli," 
said Mr. Miller. " You must not throw your 
right away. Get a patent on your invention, 
and then let us be partners and make the ma- 
chines to sell. I will furnish the money if you 
will oversee the work." 

Mr. Whitney at length agreed. "And it will 
be best," he concluded, " to make the gins in the 
North, where people will not understand their 
use and value. I should like to start the factory 
in New Haven." 

Louisa looked amazed when she heard that 
Mr. Whitney was going away. " Going away ! " 
she echoed blankly, as she thought of her garden 
spade and her doll carriage that Mr. Whitney 
had made. '' I don't want him to go away," she 
cried. " Why, mother, he's the cleverest man I 
know." 



STORY OF THE COTTON GIN 65 

" He is the cleverest man I know, too," an- 
swered her mother. " And, Eli," continued 
Mrs. Greene, " I count it a great honor to have 
introduced to the world the inventor of the 
cotton gin. I feel as sorry as Louisa does to 
have you leave us. Be sure that my home will 
always have a warm welcome for you." 

" Thank you, Mrs. Greene," stammered the 
blushing young man. " I shall certainly avail 
myself of such kindness." 

" Does that mean that you are coming again ? " 
asked Louisa, eagerly. 

" Indeed, I hope so," answered Mr. Whitney, 
as if he did not really care to go away. 

All this happened in 1793. The rest of the 
story covers a good many years, and leaves very 
few pleasant things to tell. It was well that 
Mr. Whitney invented other machinery that 
gave him a comfortable income, for the cotton 
gin never brought him even a fair reward. Eli 
Whitney is still the greatest benefactor the South 
has ever had, but his reward was ingratitude and 
dishonesty. 

Trouble began for the inventors a few days 
after Mr. Whitney left Mulberry Grove for New 
Haven, when one night men broke into the log 
house and stole the machine. Then people 



66 DAYS AND DEEDS 

studied its construction, built others similar to 
it, and used them openly. 

But if the outlook for the young inventor was 
dark in Georgia, it was even darker in New 
Haven. Mr. Whitney went to New York on 
business, was ill there three weeks with fever 
and ague, and returned at last to New Haven 
only to find his factory burned, with all his ma- 
chines, plans, and papers. 

" And still, though I am four thousand dol- 
lars in debt," wrote Mr. Whitney to Mr. Miller 
in describing the accident, "■ I am not disheart- 
ened." 

" I will devote all my time, all my thoughts, 
all my exertions, and all the money I can earn 
or borrow, to complete the business we have un- 
dertaken," wrote Mr. Miller in answer. 

Then came a fresh discouragement. Men in 
England were reported as saying that the cotton 
gin injured the cotton, and for a time only a 
few planters in America were willing to use the 
machine. Soon, however, people found that 
there was no truth in the charge, and the cotton 
gin was in greater demand than ever. 

After a time two of the southern states paid 
the inventor something for the use of his cotton 
gin ; but Georgia was always ungrateful and un- 



STORY OF THP: COTTON GIN 67 

fair. Sixty times did Mr. Whitney ask redress 
there, before the courts would say even that he 
had been wronged ; and six times did the perse- 
vering inventor make tlie long journey from 
Connecticut to Georgia, almost always going by 
land and driving in an open sulky, only to 
meet with repeated discourtesy and dishonest3^ 

In short, misfortunes great and small came so 
thick and fast to the firm of Miller and Whit- 
ney, that when Nathaniel and Louisa Greene 
were grown up, they remembered the njystery 
of the closed room and the day of the party as 
the happiest part of the whole story of the cot- 



ton gin. 



Learn : — 

The Yankee Boy 

Thus by his genius and his jackknife driven. 
Ere long he'll solve you any problem given ; 
Make any jinicrack, musical or mute, 
A plow, a eoach, an organ, or a flute ; 

* ^ :ic sl< ;i< ii< 

Make it, said 1 1 — Aye, when he undertakes it, 
He'll make the thing, and the machine that makes it. 

— John Pierpont. 



THE PARKERS' MOVING AND SETTLING 



Twenty-two years before Maine became a 
state, Scarborough Parker moved his family 
from. Cambridge, Massachusetts, to what is now 
Jay, Maine, but was then Jay, Massachusetts. 
In fact, two of his grandchildren in later years 
thought it a good joke to tell that one was born 
in Massachusetts and the other in Maine, and 
yet they were both born in the same house and 
in the same room. 

Catharine Parker could not understand why 
her father wished to leave his comfortable home 
in Cambridge to make a home almost in the 
wilderness ; but preparations went on in spite of 
her hope that something would prevent their 
moving, and one day in earl}^ May in the spring 
of 1798 the whole family, with their household 
furnishings, their oxen, the new white oak ox- 
cart, the two cows, and a good food supply, 
boarded a barge in Boston Harbor. 

To travel from Boston to the mouth of the 

68 



MOVING AND SETTLING 60 

Kennebec River and up that river was to follow 
the same route which Benedict Arnold took in 
the fall of 1775, when he led his ill-fated expe- 
dition against Quebec, except that General Ar- 
nold started from Newburyport, about twenty- 
five miles north of Boston. 

It was Tuesday morning when the barge left 
Boston. The winds were fair, and Wednesday 
morning saw the barge at the mouth of the Ken- 
nebec, about one hundred and twenty-five miles 
from Boston. The pioneers sailed by old Fort 
Popham, then between the beautiful wooded 
banks of the river, until after a sail of forty 
miles up the river, they reached the little town 
of Hallowell. This was as far as the barges 
went in those days. 

*' When Benedict Arnold and his army were 
here in '75," said Catharine's father, " they 
rested just above here at Fort Western for three 
days before they embarked in the flat-bottomed 
boats which were to carry them farther up the 
river. The people near Fort Western made 
them a great feast. I have heard one of the 
men tell that they had three bears roasted whole 
in frontier style, an abundance of venison, 
smoked salmon, and huge pumpkin pies, all 
washed down with plenty of West India rum." 



70 DAYS AND DEEDS 

When Catharine watched her father load the 
ox-cart for the journey of twenty-five miles 
across country, she saw him put on a barrel of 
salt beef, a barrel of salt pork, some corn-meal, 
and a quantity of salt fish. ISlie felt that veni- 
son and pumpkin pies would taste a great deal 
better than anything they would have before 
they reached their new home in the wilderness, 
or for some time after they reached it. But 
she felt even more sober when her father poured 
the brine from both barrels to lighten the load, 
and her mother said, '" I greatly fear that the 
meat may become tainted, but we must take the 
risk." Poor Catharine forgot about roast meat 
and pies, and began to be troubled lest they 
should not have enough of any kind of food. 

" We may get some fresh bear steak on the 
way," said her father. 

Catharine's eyes were very round as she 
gasped, " Shall we really see any bears, father ? " 

" Probably not, m}^ little girl. But I do not 
expect you to grow up in the new home without 
seeing more than one bear, though I do not 
fear," he added, lest Catharine should be 
troubled, "that you will come to any harm from 
them." 

The journey from Hallowell to Jay was slow. 



MOVING AND SETTLING 71 

Tlie road was poor and wound over the tops of 
the hilJs, for settlers felt safer upon the heights 
and also considered the high lands better for 
farming purposes. It was almost nightfall of 
the third day when the little party reached its 
destination at what is now Stone's Corner. 

Mr. Parker and his family had received such 
hospitable treatment the two preceding nights 
that it was no surprise to Catharine to hear 
Major Stone extend an invitation to them all to 
spend the night at his home. It was a queer 
house built like a shed and having the rooms in 
tiers. Catliarine thought it very much like 
soldiers' barracks, and she rejoiced the next 
morning when she learned that they were to 
live there several months until her father could 
clear some of his land, which was just north of 
Major Stone's, do some planting, and build a 
house of his own. 

Major Stone and other settlers not far away 
helped Mr. Parker in his house raising, as it was 
called. Then all in turn helped Major Stone 
raise the fine, large house which he soon after 
built in front of the shed-like building. It 
seemed a little like Cambridge when Catharine 
could look across the clearing and see the 
" Mansion," as it was called for a hundred years 



72 DAYS AND DEEDS 

after ; but there was little else either inside or 
outside the new home to recall her town life. 

II 

In the moving there had been so much of 
novelty that Catharine had not felt homesick ; 
in the settling, it was fortunate she was very, 
very busy, for she missed a great many of the 
conveniences of her old home. The mail came 
onl}^ once a week, by a carrier who traveled on 
horseback from Hallowell as far as Farmington, 
This was the only connection with the outside 
world. Inside the new home there was little 
furniture, no carpets, no pictures, few dishes. 
Catharine ate her hominy out of a wooden 
trencher, which was really nothing but a wooden 
block with a plate-like hollow scooped out. For 
a number of years the Parkers used the wooden 
dishes, with a very few pewter pieces. Much of 
the corn that was made into hominy was 
pounded by hand in a mortar which was simply 
a maple stump hollowed out in the centre. The 
heavy pestle hung on a swaying bough over- 
head because the natural spring of the branch 
was a help in keeping up the wearisome motion 
of pounding. 

In spite of the great change from the life to 




The Mail Carrier. 



MOVING AND SETTLING Y3 

which she was accustomed, Catharine was 
happy, working about the house, helping to 
milk, learning to spin, and looking after her 
younger brother. One day, when she was tak- 
ing care of Jonathan and Major Stone's little 
Aaron, she saw her first bear. Such a fright as 
she had ! Yet her fears were not for herself. 

It happened one bright afternoon in Septem- 
ber ; the children were playing in the road 
within calling distance, and Catharine was sit- 
ting on the door-stone, sewing. Looking up, she 
saw some animal trotting out of the woods and 
coming across the pasture towards the road. 

" See this enormous dog ! " she called to her 
mother, who was spinning just inside the house. 
Her mother stepped to the door and saw in- 
stantly that Catharine's dog was a big black 
bear. Only a few steps from the children, there 
was a small building that Mr. Parker had put 
up for a drying-house. Mrs. Parker saw that 
the door was ajar. 

'* Quick ! Run into the drying-house, chil- 
dren, and shut the door tight ! " she called. 
The children, used to obeying, did promptly 
what they were told, and Mrs. Parker drew a 
long breath. Catharine was too frightened to 
move. 



^4 DAYS AND DEEDS 

" What shall we do? " she gasped. 

*' Nothing, I think," answered her mother, 
watching the bear. The heavy animal did not 
appear to have noticed the children, and keep- 
ing his original course, crossed the road a few 
rods north of the drying-house and trotted along 
through the west clearing. Mrs. Parker watched 
him as far as she could, then she let the children 
out of their prison, told them the story, and bade 
them play in front of the house. 

It was the first bear that any of the Stones or 
the Parkers had ever seen, and Major Stone told 
Catharine that she would never see another, as 
settlers were constantly coming to Jay and to 
the surrounding towns and cutting down the 
forests, so that the bears were finding homes 
farther north. 

The Parkers had spent their first Thanksgiv- 
ing in the new home with Major Stone's family. 
The plan was that the Stones should spend the 
second Thanksgiving with the Parkers. The 
day before the second Thanksgiving, Mr. Parker 
went into the woods to work, taking his gun 
with him, 

Mrs. Parker and Catharine were busy in the 
kitchen, while Jonathan and Aaron played near 
by and occasionally asked for a taste of the good 



MOVING AND SETTLING T5 

things which were being cooked for the feast of 
the next day. 

Out in the west clearing there were two sheep 
and twin lambs, such as Mrs, Parker had for 
some time been anxious to own. 

" There's a big dog after the sheep ! " cried 
Jonathan, looking out the window. 

Mrs. Parker liad gone to the attic for some 
sage. Catharine hurried to the window and 
saw at once that a bear was chasing their 
precious sheep. 

" A bear ! " she screamed. 

Instantly she dashed from the house and 
rushed towards the sheep pen under the barn, 
to open the heavy gate. The sheep were run- 
ning wildly towards the house. Catharine 
meant to give them a chance to escape from 
their tormentor and be safe in their pen. 
Thinking, even in her excitement, of the 
timidity of the lambs, she stood concealed be- 
hind the gate until she heard the panting group 
inside. Then she swung the gate quickly into 
place. But to her horror she found that the 
bear had so increased his speed that she had 
actually shut him in, too ! 

Catharine did not stop to go into the house 
but ran to Major Stone's as fast as she could. 



76 DAYS AND DEEDS 

The major, who was a very calm, dignified 
man, refused to believe that there was any bear 
in the sheep pen. To quiet the frightened 
child, however, he took down his gun and went 
with her to the Parker home. When they 
reached the sheep pen, they found that the bear 
had killed one of the lambs ; but that for some 
reason, perhaps because of surprise at his sur- 
roundings, he had not harmed the other lamb 
and the two sheep. He was about to strike the 
second lamb, when a shot from the major's gun 
killed him instantly. 

Catharine was considered a heroine, of course. 
The family spoke of Catharine's bear and Catha- 
rine's bearskin rug, and Catharine's bear steak 
for some time afterwards. Catharine said that 
it was Major Stone's bear ; but she enjoyed none 
the less this first and last bear steak that she 
ever ate. 

" It is like the feast given to Arnold's men," 
she said that Thanksgiving day as she looked 
upon the heavily-laden table. " I never expected 
to have such good things here in Jay. Here I am 
having maple syrup instead of that old West India 
rum that Arnold's soldiers had, and rabbit pie 
and suet pudding instead of their venison and 
smoked salmon ; but I have bear steak and 



MOVING AND SETTLING 77 

pumpkin pie just as they did. I wouldn't ex- 
change with them or anybody else now." 

Learn : — 

The violet sprung at spring's first tinge, 

The rose of summer spread its glow, 
The maize hung on the autumn fringe, 

Rude winter brought its snow : — 
And still the settler labored there. 
His shout and whistle woke the air. 

As cheerily he plied 
His garden spade, or drove his share 

Along the hillock's side. 

— Alfred Billlnys Street. 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 



Luther Feeeland was born on the day on 
which President Washington died. " If the 
little fellow lives to be a man," his father said, 
" he will see wonders, I know. The country 
has gone safely through the Revolution, and 
General Washington has made the states into a 
nation. Now we shall have time for inventions, 
and our little boy will live in a world of magic." 

" Perhaps so," assented Mrs. Freeland, rather 
doubtfully, " but I don't see how the world can 
change much more. Life is ever so much easier 
than it was before the war. And you know how 
rapid the mail service is getting. Don't you re- 
member that sister Jane's last letter came from 
Boston in less than five days ? And how much 
more comfortable traveling is than it used to be ! 
It is ever so much easier to ride in a stagecoach 
than on a pillion. 

'' Just think of the stoves that Mr. Franklin 
made," she continued. " We shall have no 

78 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 79 

trouble in keeping warm if we can afford one of 
those. Really," decided Mrs. Freeland, " 1 
don't see what more we can expect." 

" Well, wife, I don't know exactly, myself. 
But I believe some way will be discovered of 
getting around more easily and quickly. The 
change may not come in our day, but 1 should 
not be surprised if this little fellow would travel 
from New York to Boston in a good deal shorter 
time than Jane's letter came. To my way of 
thinking, that Scotchman who has been experi- 
menting so much with steam will make some- 
thing to astonish us all some day." 

Mr. Freeland was what we call a farsighted 
man ; but how surprised even he would have 
been had he known that his little Luther would 
one day travel from New York to Boston in six 
hours and from Boston to Liverpool in six days, 
all Ijy the mighty power of steam that the Scotch- 
man, James Watt, had so gloriously foretold ! 
For it was true that the little fellow would see 
wonders. 

When Luther was an old man, he used to 
look back over his life and recall the mar- 
velous inventions that made the nineteenth 
century famous. But of all the experiences 
those inventions brought him, none ever seemed 



80 DAYS AND DEEDS 

quite so strange or delightful as a certain boat 
ride that he took in the year 1807. 

Luther lived on the bank of the Hudson 
River, just opposite the present city of Pough- 
keepsie. When he was a little boy, he liked to 
sit on the bluff and look down upon the blue 
river. He liked to watch the white-sailed boats 
moving gracefully up and down the stream 
and the little rowboats making their way more 
painfully along the shore. But his greatest 
pleasure was to go with his father for a row or a 
sail. The trip was always over too soon. " Why 
don't we sail to Albany?" or "Why can't we 
row down to New York ? " he used to ask, when 
they had gone a short distance up or down the 
river. 

" There isn't time, my child," or " The wind 
isn't right," the father would answer. " But 
some day you shall go down the river to New 
York." 

One August morning when Luther was nearly 
eight years old, he was playing alone at some 
distance from the house, and as usual within 
plain sight of the river. Happening to look 
down stream where the sailboats generally 
waved their white signals in the breeze, he saw 
something that startled him. Right in the 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 81 

middle of the river a huge black object was 
moving slowly up the stream ; out of it poured 
a column of thick, sooty smoke. As fast as he 
could, the little boy ran towards the house, 
crying excitedly, '' Oh, father ! mother ! Come 
quick ! There's a house on fire in the river, 
coming this way ! And it has a front and back 
yard ! " 

That wasn't so poor a description, after all. 
Luther had never seen an engine of any kind. 
How was he to know that the long dark cylinder 
from which the smoke rose was only a smoke- 
stack, or that what seemed a house with its front 
and back yards was but a common open river 
boat with a covered engine ? 

Mr. and Mrs. Freeland, amazed at their boy's 
words, hurried with Luther to the bluff over- 
looking the river. Some of the neighbors, seeing 
the commotion, hurried after them ; and in less 
than five minutes after Luther caught sight of 
the strange craft, a company of ten or twelve 
people were watching it from the shore. 

''What is it? Oh, what is it? Will it kill 
us ? " shrieked one of the women, wildly. 

" It's a sea monster," some one answered. 

" It is the work of the Evil One," proclaimed 
another, solemnly. 



82 DAYS AND DEEDS 

But in spite of fears, every one gazed fixedly 
at the dark object as it came rapidly nearer and 
nearer. It was a boat — they saw that clearly 
now. , Bat what made it move ? 

" There are no sails," said one. 

" There are no oars," declared another. 

" There are no spars or rigging," said a third. 

Before long everybody could see the curious 
play of the walking beam and piston, and the 
sight brought fresh terror. Then as the monster 
came nearer, they saw the slow turning and 
splashing of the paddle wheels that churned the 
blue Hudson into foaming froth. 

" Run ! Run for your lives ! " shouted an 
excitable woman. And Mrs. Freeland, having 
tight hold of little Luther's hand, started for the 
house. But her husband stopped her. " No, 
no, wife," said he. " I know now what it is. 
It will not hurt us. It's a boat that goes by 
steam, but I do not know any more about it. 
Look on the decks. Can't you see men there ? 
Let us watch it out of sight." 

Mr. Freeland's calmness and his explanation 
soothed everybody. It was not a sea monster, 
after all. It was just a boat proi)elled by steam, 
whatever that meant. Then they would stay 
and watch it. 




"Soon the Boat came Abkeast of the Little Group. 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 83 

Soon the boat came abreast of the little group 
on the bluff. It looked terrifying still, but it was 
going by, and the more frightened of the neigh- 
bors breathed a sigh of relief. But now that the 
danger seemed past, every one watched eagerly 
to find out what made the boat go. There were 
four men on deck, but they seemed to do nothing 
except to walk around here and there, as if mak- 
ing certain that everything was as it should be. 

Mr. Freeland, the most courageous of those on 
the bank, waved his hand to one of the men on 
deck and received a salute in return. '' What 
is it?" he shouted. All the spectators caught 
the answer above the din of the paddles : " The 
Clermont — trial trip — New York to Albany." 

Silently the little company watched the strange 
craft up the river out of sight ; but when it had 
vanished around a projecting cliff, they plied 
Mr. Freeland with questions. 

" How can steam make a boat go, Mr. Free- 
land?" 

" How fast was she going, Mr. Freeland? " 

" Who made her, Mr. Freeland ? " 

" My friends," answered Luther's father, " I 
do not know the answers to any of the questions 
that you ask me. I should say, however, that 
the boat went about four miles an hour. But 



84 DAYS AND DEEDS 

how steam could turn those wheels is a mystery 
to me, though I've long suspected that steam 
would some day be a great power in the world. 
When little Luther was born, I told his mother 
that he would see wonders, but I didn't think 
they would come so soon." 

" But what will be the use of such a boat as 
this, Mr. Freeland?" 

*' Why, if steam navigation succeeds, I fancy 
we shall go from New York to Albany in half 
the time a sailboat can carry us," answered Mr. 
Freeland confidently. 

" Should you dare trust yourself on such a 
thing ? " inquired a timid woman. 

" Yes, indeed," replied Mr. Freeland. ** And 
more than that, if this boat is a success, I'm 
going to ride on her as soon as I can after she 
begins to take passengers." 

Luther's eyes and mouth flew wide open. 
" Oh, father ! " he began ; but he stopped, won- 
dering if he dared ask what he wanted. But his 
father saved him the trouble. " And, Luther," 
he said, " if you like, we will take our trip to 
New York in a steamboat some day." 

** Oh, father ! " said Luther again ; but once 
more he stopped. The prospect was too great 
for words. 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 85 

Presently the little group went back to their 
various homes. They had seen the wonder of 
their lives. Some were awed, some still fright- 
ened, some incredulous. But Luther was wholly 
happy. 

II 

The steamboat that had puffed its way tri- 
umphantly up the Hudson that August morn- 
ing was the chief topic of conversation for many 
a day. All manner of stories went abroad ; but 
Mr. Freeland, who was too sensible a man to be- 
lieve every rumor, in a day or two had found 
out a large part of the truth. 

^' It seems," he told Mrs. Freeland and Luther, 
*' that there is a man in New York who for years 
has been trying to make a boat go by steam. 
We haven't heard of him before, because he has 
up to this time been making experiments in 
Europe. His name is Robert Fulton ; but I 
can't learn much more about him except that 
he was born somewhere in Pennsylvania and 
that he is planning to run the Clermont as a 
passenger boat between New York and Albany. 

" Now I must go to New York on business in 
a month or so and I mean to take passage on 



86 DAYS AND DEEDS 

the Clermont from Pouglikeepsie. I am sure there 
is one person who would like to go with me," 
he added, looking at Luther, who flushed with 
pleasure. *' But how about Luther's mother?" 
he questioned. 

*' No," replied Mrs. Freeland. " You know 
how timid I am upon the water. I should not 
enjoy the sail at all. Indeed, I am afraid that 
I should only spoil your good time and Luther's. 
I will stay here and worry about you just as 
little as I can." 

That day the steamboat came splashing down 
the river on her return trip and the same curious 
crowd collected on the river bank. The Clermont 
was less of a terror and more of a wonder now ; 
but many felt with Mrs. Freeland that they did 
not care to take passage on her. 

Luther could not understand that feeling. 
To be on the water was in itself a pleasure ; but 
to go on a boat that could make its own way 
through the water — who could think of any- 
thing more delightful ? And there was a whole 
month to wait ! 

Soon the Clermont made regular trips up and 
down the river, and Luther had regular hours 
for watching on the bluff. But after he had 
watched the wonderful boat go up towards Al- 



THE SUCCESS OP ROBERT FULTON 87 

bany eight times and down towards New York 
seven times, he found himself one morning 
watching for her from the Poughkeepsie shore ; 
and when the Clermont, on her eighth trip down 
stream, went puffing by the Freeland house, 
Luther was waving from the deck a happy 
good-bye to his mother on the bluff. Then, 
with a sudden, satisfying joy, he realized that he 
was actually on his way to New York in the 
most marvelous boat in the world. 

When the Clermont had steamed some distance 
down the river, Mr. Freeland and Luther left 
their places in the stern and started to walk to 
the other end of the boat. They had gone al- 
most to the big wheels when Luther exclaimed, 
" Did you ever see such a large boat before, 
father?" 

" No, Luther, I never did. I should think 
she must be twelve times as long as our rowboat. 
But look," said Mr. Freeland, pointing towards 
the bow, " do you see that man, the one who 
seems to be examining something?" 

" Do you mean the man with a shoe on one 
foot and only a stocking on the other?" asked 
Luther, as he looked in the direction in which 
his father pointed. 

"Yes," laughed Mr. Freeland. "I hadn't 



88 DAYS AND DEEDS 

noticed his feet before. I think, Luther, that 
man must be Mr. Fulton." 

Luther gazed upon the great man admiringl}^ 
" I am glad I've seen him," he said at last. 
Then Mr. Freeland called Luther's attention to 
the paddle wheel ; and when they looked up 
again, there stood Mr. Fulton himself intently 
observing that same wheel. At length the in- 
ventor seemed satisfied with his inspection and 
turned to leave ; but just as he was walking 
away, he saw Luther looking at him with so 
much admiration and respect that even though 
he had been too busy to put on both shoes, he 
stopped to speak to the little fellow. 

" Good-morning, my boy," he said. " Is this 
your first ride on the Clerifnont f " 

Here was an honor even greater than Luther 
had hoped for. His face beamed, but his tongue 
moved slowly as he answered, " Yes, sir," 

" My little boy," interposed Mr. Freeland, " is, 
I am sure, the most enthusiastic passenger the 
Clermont has ever carried. For a month he has 
almost lived on the river bank." 

Mr. Fulton looked at Luther again. " Should 
you like to see my engine ? " he inquired. 

And Luther found just voice enough to say, 
''Yes, sir, I should." 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 89 

" If you will wait a few minutes till I come 
back," said the inventor to Mr. Freeland, " I 
will show you and your boy how the boat 
works." 

" Thank you, Mr. Fulton," replied Mr. Free- 
land warmly. '' You will give great pleasure to 
us both." 

While they were waiting, Mr. Freeland and 
Luther walked around among the other pas- 
sengers. They counted nearly fifty of them. 
Most of the people seemed to be enjoying the 
novel ride and the numerous small boys of 
Luther's age were so happy that they ran glee- 
fully all over the boat. 

There were a few passengers, however, who 
did not seem glad of their privilege, and Luther 
saw one woman in particular who appeared to 
be most uncomfortable. She was so nervous, 
she explained to Mr. Freeland, that she could 
not sit still and so frightened that she dared not 
walk about. " Dear me ! " thought Luther, 
" there's nothing else she can do." But he de- 
cided afterwards that when she talked she forgot 
her nervousness and her fright. " And that 
must be the reason," he reflected, " that she 
talks to everybody." 

" Now," said Mr. Fulton, reappearing, " I 



90 DAYS AND DEEDS 

shall be at leisure for a while. Let us look at 
the engine." 

*' Will you tell me," asked Mr. Freeland as 
they followed Mr. Fulton to the lower part of 
the boat, " how long you have been at work on 
this invention ? " 

" Nearly all my life," was the prompt reply. 
'' When I was a boy I built paddle wheels for 
my fishing boat, and ever since I have been try- 
ing to turn those wheels by steam instead of by 
hand." 

" Were you the first to attempt steam naviga- 
tion, Mr. Fulton?" inquired Mr. Freeland. 

" Not by any means," Mr. Fulton replied. 
** The idea of steam navigation is not new. I 
suppose that as early as 1543 an Italian moved a 
boat nearly three miles by steam. Ever since, 
men have been trying to find the right way to 
use the steam, but I think that now for the first 
time we have the secret. 

" I almost succeeded in Paris, however, a short 
time ago. A friend and I had built our boat ; 
but the night before she was to make her trial 
trip, her frame broke and she sunk. Of course 
we raised the machinery and the fragments of 
the hull at once, but the boat had to be rebuilt. 
It was a discouraging experience : for though 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 91 

she did finally travel a short distance on the 
Seine, she did not go fast enough. But I know 
what the trouble was, and I think I have reme- 
died it in the Clermont^ 

Then Mr. Fulton showed the working of his 
engine — that wonderful means for utilizing the 
steam power — and Luther had his first lesson in 
mechanics. He learned how the steam pushed 
the piston rod back and forth ; how the piston 
rod controlled the walking beam ; and how the 
walking beam in turn made the great paddle 
wheels revolve. And thus the steam — that in- 
visible giant who had had his freedom these 
thousands of years — was fairly caught at last by 
the power of a man's mind and was made man's 
servant forever. 

" Thank you, Mr. Fulton," Mr. Freeland was 
saying, '' how simple it all seems now ! Your 
steamboat " 

" Mr. Fulton ! Mr. Fulton ! " screamed some 
one from above. Scarcely had the inventor dis- 
appeared in answer when the boat stopped with 
a jerk, and Luther fell violently against his 
father. In an instant, however, Mr. Freeland 
had the little boy on his feet and both hastened 
outside. 

What a commotion ! People were jostling 



92 DAYS AND DEEDS 

each other this way and that. The nervous 
woman was sitting still, but she had her eyes 
closed and was shrieking at the top of her voice, 
" We are lost ! We are lost ! " 

" Don't be frightened, Luther," said Mr. Free- 
land soothingly to his little boy. " We have 
run aground, that is all." 

Before long everybody realized that nothing 
more serious had taken place ; and presently all 
were as interested in watching the boat pushed 
off as they had been frightened at the sudden 
stop. The rest of the voyage was made without 
a mishap. 

The homeward trip had no accident to mar it. 
Indeed the ride up the river was more enjoyable, 
if possible, than the downward sail had been, for 
this time Luther saw in full daylight the harbor 
that he had entered in the evening. He was 
pleased besides to find Mr. Fulton again on the 
boat and to have more pleasant words from the 
illustrious man. " I must stay on board for a 
few more trips at least," the inventor said, " and 
I dare not trust my crew. They don't take 
kindly to steam navigation yet and I have no 
doubt that it was a treacherous sailor who made 
us run aground the other day." 

But journeys on steamers will come to an end, 



THE SUCCESS OF ROBERT FULTON 93 

even when the boat goes only four miles an hour. 
To Luther the hours on the Clermont passed by 
like minutes ; but to Mrs. Freeland, waiting at 
home, every minute seemed a weary hour. " I 
never had so anxious a time. Did everything 
go smoothly? " was the mother's greeting. 

Then Luther told about the accident, and his 
mother grew pale as she exclaimed thankfully, 
" What a mercy you struck the sand instead of 
a rock ! " 

" But Mr. Fulton says there won't be any ac- 
cidents on the Clermont after a while," said 
Luther reassuringly. " And when I am grown 
up," he added, " I am going to Europe in a 
steamboat." 

Mrs. Freeland shuddered. " I can't bear to 
think of such a thing. Could you ever consent 
to it?" she asked of Mr. Freeland. 

" I think we shall have to," answered Mr. 
Freeland, calmly. " You know, I said that 
Luther would live in an age of magic." 

Learn : — 

Those whom the world agrees to call great are those 
who have done or produced something of permanent 
value to mankind. — Froude. 



A CANAL JOURNEY 

It was in the spring of 1826 that the Barlow 
twins took their first long journey. On the 4th 
of November of the preceding fall, Gov. De 
Witt Clinton, after a triumphant trip from 
Buffalo in a gaily decorated canal boat, had 
poured a keg of Lake Erie water into the At- 
lantic Ocean. This act was intended to show 
that the Erie Canal was at last completed and 
that it was possible to go by boat across the state 
of New York to Albany, three hundred and 
sixty-three miles, and thence to New York City. 
This spring the Barlows were to move from 
Albany to Buffalo, where Mr. Barlow was to be 
emplo3^ed in collecting tolls, and of course they 
must make the journey by canal boat. 

There were no railroad trains crossing the 
state at that time, and the canal route furnished 
altogether the quickest and most delightful 
mode of journeying. Now an express train can 
travel from Albany to Buffalo in five hours, but 
then nobody even dreamed of such a possibility. 
The week and a half that was required by canal 

94 



A CANAL JOURNEY 95 

seemed to the people a short time in which to 
cover so great a distance. 

In order to be in Buffalo at the proper time, 
the Barlows decided to start the 10th of May ; 
and one beautiful, sunny morning Mr. and Mrs. 
Barlow, the twins, the two kittens, the dog, and 
the family's household belongings were on board 
the canal boat Onondaga, ready to start for Buf- 
falo. The boat was heavily loaded with freight, 
but, fortunately for the twins, had only two pas- 
sengers besides the Barlow family. One of these 
was an old lady who was deaf and was not 
troubled by the children's noise, and the other 
was a young man who liked twins and kittens 
and dogs. 

*' Good-morning," said the young man. 
"■ While everybody else is making ready for 
the start, let us look over the boat. My name 
is John Birch. You look as much alike as your 
two kittens, and those I have already named 
Tother and Which, for I can't tell them apart. 
Are your names Tother and Which, too? " 

How the twins laughed ! 

" We had not named the kittens," they said, 
'' and they may just as well have your names ; 
but we are Marcus and Marcella." In going 
over the boat with Mr. Birch, the twins discov- 



96 DAYS AND DEEDS 

ered many things that they had not seen before : 
most of the boat was tilled with freight, the 
cabin was in the bow, and in the stern were 
three stalls for horses. Mr. Birch thought that 
the blunt-nosed, heav}^ craft looked a good deal 
as Noah's ark must have appeared, but he did 
not tell the children so. They thought every- 
thing about it beautiful. 

Pretty soon three of the six discouraged-look- 
ing horses that had been standing on the wharf 
were led aboard into the stalls, and the other 
three were harnessed to the long rope which 
was to drag the boat through the canal. One 
of the boatmen took his seat upon the back of 
the rear horse to do the driving ; another, the 
bowsman, took his place in the bow of the boat ; 
a third, the steersman, took his place in the 
stern ; the boat was let loose from the wharf ; 
the driver cracked his long whip, and the jour- 
ney was begun. 

Marcus Barlow lived to be seventy-five 3^ears 
old, and was able to cross the Atlantic on an 
ocean greyhound that covered twenty miles an 
hour, but he always declared that he never had 
such a wholly delightful trip as that on the 
Onondaga, traveling along the Erie Canal at the 
rate of two miles an hour. 



• ^ ""mi '%WY 




The "Onondaga." 



A CANAL JOURNEY 97 

Shortly after leaving Albany, the Onondaga 
was gliding between green banks so near at hand 
that it seemed almost possible to pick the wild 
flowers from the deck of the boat. The canal, 
which many people had called in jest '* the big 
ditch," was only forty feet wide, yet of course 
was broad enough to permit one boat to pass 
another. In fact, for several years the boats 
were built only a certain width, to fit the canal, 
but traffic became so great that by 1862 the 
canal had been widened to seventy feet to ac- 
commodate larger boats. 

The first day of the Barlows' journey was most 
uneventful. Of course, the twins learned the 
routine of canal life. They saw that the horses 
which began their work at Albany, after toiling 
along the tow-path for six hours, were taken on 
board to rest and to eat, and that the others 
then took their turn dragging the boat. 

The passengers frequently heard the warning 
cry " Low bridge," which they learned was the 
signal for everybody on deck to take some very 
lowly position to avoid being bumped. At first 
the twins lay flat on the deck, but they soon 
found that for them it was not necessary to do 
more than sit down. 

The second day of the journey an accident 



98 DAYS AND DEEDS 

happened to Tom, the large black horse, and 
the twins' favorite. " Another boat ! " called 
John Birch that morning. The twins ran to 
see. Sure enough ! another boat was coming 
from the opposite direction. The twins were 
always interested to see how the passing of boats 
and tow-lines and horses could be managed. 
This time all went well until, when the boats 
had almost passed, the tow-line of the other 
boat caught somewhere under the Onondaga, 
and, jerking the boat backwards, threw Tom 
from the tow-path into the canal. The other 
horses, which were ahead of Tom, were saved 
from the plunge by the breaking of the harness. 

Marcus and Marcella were thoroughly fright- 
ened. Tom could not swim because he was 
fastened to the rope, which held him down ; 
otherwise he would have come gallantly to his 
own rescue. As matters were, it seemed that 
the poor beast would certainly drown. But Cap- 
tain Wells promptly plunged into the water and, 
at considerable danger to himself from the fright- 
ened, struggling horse, succeeded in cutting him 
loose. Soon a dripping man and a dripping 
horse were drawn up on board and the boats 
took up their course again. 

The greatest fun of the journey consisted in 



A CANAL JOURNEY 99 

going through the locks, and as these began at 
Albany and there were eighty-three of them, the 
fun lasted well through the long journey. Now 
when a boat goes through a lock it must go 
either upstairs or downstairs according to the 
direction in which it is traveling. A lock is 
really a gigantic step, though at first sight it 
seems to be simply a short stretch of canal with 
gates at each end. At Lockport, the Onondaga 
went upstairs nine steps, for there are nine locks, 
one directly after another, to lift the canal to the 
higher country through which it must pass. At 
another place the Onondaga climbed sixteen 
steps to reach the higher level. 

The first locks were a great mystery to 
the twins ; but, thanks to Mr. Birch, they 
soon learned how the boat took the step up, 
or the step down, if that was what was 
needed. 

" Goody ! there's another ! " one of the twins 
would shout as soon as the gates of a lock ap- 
peared in the distance. Then they would both 
watch. They learned that the gates at the 
farther end were always kept closed when the 
boat entered the lock, no matter whether the 
boat was to go upstairs or down. If the boat 
was to climb to a higher level, it was towed into 

tOFC. 



100 DAYS AND DEEDS 

the lock and the water gates shut behind it. 
There the boat stood in a pen, with gates shut- 
ting out the water in front and with gates be- 
hind shutting in the water. 

The fun came when the children could see the 
boat lifted up. When a gatesman opened the 
sliding doors in the front gates, water from above 
rushed in until the water in the lock was on the 
same level as that to which the boat was to 
climb. Then the gates were opened and the 
boat was towed out. If a boat was coming from 
the other direction at the same time, it was very 
little trouble to let the second boat down. While 
the upper gates were still open, this boat was 
towed into the lock ; then the heavy gates were 
closed. A gatesman opened the sliding doors in 
the lower gates, and the water rushed out until 
the water in the lock was of the lower level. 
The boat was downstairs and ready to continue 
her journey as soon as the ponderous gates across 
her path were opened. 

It was fun, too, to guess how high the boat 
would be lifted. 

" This time the water will come up to that 
mark," Marcella would say when they were in 
a lock waiting for the opening of the sliding 
doors. 



A CANAL JOURNEY 101 

" I'll guess it will come up to that white stone 
above," Marcus would reply. 

Then the water would be let in, and often it 
would cover both marks, for in many of the 
locks the boat was lifted more than ten 
feet. 

One time the deaf lady was guessing with the 
twins. " It will come to that three-cornered 
black stone," she said, leaning over the side of 
the boat to point it out. The boat was so near 
the side of the lock that it bumped just then, 
and knocked the old lady's silver snufF-box 
out of her hand and overboard into the water. 
Everybody was sorry for the accident, but as 
the captain said that something must always be 
lost overboard in a canal trip, all except the 
owner thought the snufF-box as good an article 
as could be chosen. 

The journey came to an end after a week and 
a half — too soon, the twins thought ; but no 
doubt the tired horses, the crew, and the other 
passengers were glad to set foot on land once 
more. 

*' Some time we will go again on a canal 
boat," said Marcus, longingly, as they left the 
Onondaga. " I expect to be a captain, by and 
by ; and you may go back and forth all the 



102 DAYS AND DEEDS 

time if you want to, Marcella," he added gener- 
ously. 

Learn : — 

As the Italians say, Good company iu a journey makes 
the way to seem the shorter. — Izaak Walton. 



KINDLING A FIRE 

" There is do tire without some smoke," sang 
Cornelius Hyde with a pretense of cheerfulness 
as he looked into the cold, black tireplace, one 
winter morning. 

" Cornelius, you could not have banked the 
fire last night so carefully as you ought," said 
his mother reprovingly. 

" Indeed, I did ; but the minister was so en- 
tertaining that we sat up longer than I expected 
to, and there were not many coals to bank. I 
covered very carefully all that I found. But I 
should have burned out another stick, mother, 
if I had not thought there were enough to last 
until morning," added Cornelius, with the smile 
that won him friends everywhere. '' David will 
run over to neighbor Wilson's and borrow some 
fire, I know. David," he said, " if you will, I 
will do all your chores." 

Cornelius's little brother David agreed at once, 
and taking an iron skillet, he trudged down the 
road to the nearest neighbor's. It was far from 

103 



104 DAYS AND DEEDS 

pleasant on a sharp December morning to have 
no fire in the house, and the more quickly he 
could borrow some the better. 

There was a tinder box on the kitchen mantel, 
but both David and Cornelius would rather go 
to borrow some fire than try to strike a spark 
with the flint and steel. They had not been 
obliged to do it often, as their father was usually 
at home. If he had been there this morning, 
he would have taken down the tinder box, 
struck a spark with the flint and steel and 
caught it in the tinder. When the tinder — 
which was really charred linen rags — was all 
aglow, he would have lighted one of the sul- 
phur-tipped splints which were the nearest ap- 
proach to matches that the Hyde family had in 
this year 1828. 

David had heard from Cornelius, who was a 
student at Bowdoin College, and, in his little 
brother's opinion, knew almost everything, that 
somebody, somewhere, had invented " instanta- 
neous-light " boxes, by means of which a person 
could make a fire in an instant. This morning 
as he hurried on his errand, his fingers tingling 
with the cold, he thought he would like just 
such a box. 

" Good-morning, David ! " said Mrs. Wilson, 




Good Morning, David!" said Mrs. Wilson, 



KINDLING A FIRE 105 

as she opened the side door for the boy. Then, 
seeing the skillet, she said pleasantly, " You 
would like some coals, wouldn't you ? " 

A roaring fire burned in the great kitchen 
fireplace. A kettle of steaming water hung over 
the fire, and a pan of corn cake was set up to 
bake in front of the hot blaze. Mrs. Wilson 
paused in her preparation for breakfast and drew 
out a shovelful of live coals for David. 

" Tell your mother," she said, as the little boy 
started home, " to send over here any time when 
she needs fire, for we are not likely to be without 
it, Mr. Wilson brought home one of the new 
' instantaneous-light ' boxes last night when he 
came from Portland. Some time, when we are 
going to use one of the new chemical matches in 
the box, I will send over for you to come to see 
it burn." 

David thanked Mrs. Wilson politely, and scam- 
pered home as fast as a boy could go with a heavy 
iron dish of live coals. As he reached the fire- 
place, the minister, who had come to their town 
in order to preach the next day, entered the 
room. David would have chosen not to have 
the minister know that the fire had gone out, 
but there was no help for it. 

"Lost your fire, did you?" he asked. "I 



106 DAYS AND DEEDS 

might have saved you the time of going out 
for coals," he added. 

" Can you strike a spark the very first thing ? " 
asked David admiringly. 

'' No, I cannot," laughed the minister, " but I 
should not have used the tinder box. I have 
with me some of the new Promethean matches." 

David wished he could put out every coal 
which he was now placing carefully on the 
freshly laid sticks in the fireplace. 

" Perhaps you would like to see how one of 
these matches works?" the minister said t© 
Mrs. Hyde. 

" I should be very glad to see one used after 
breakfast, when we light the fire in the stove in 
the best room. I plan to let you use that room 
for a study to-day," she said. 

David wished to see a match lighted that mo- 
ment, for he did not know how expensive the 
little box was, and how sparingly the minister 
used the matches. 

In speaking of fires and matches at the break- 
fast table, the minister told the family that his 
father, more than a quarter of a century before, 
had seen a chemical match in Paris ; and that 
on the day when a friend showed it to him and 
to several other gentlemen, there was just one 



KINDLING A FIRE lOY 

match in the whole city of Paris. However, the 
chemist who had the matches for sale promised 
that the inventor would have a dozen made the 
next day. " It is a very different matter now, 
when a man can buy a box for a shilling and 
can find them at any apothecary's in our cities," 
added the minister. 

" One of the men at college told a story," said 
Cornelius, " of an English chemist, who lighted 
the first Promethean match in the sight of the 
tin-miners of Cornwall. It was said the miners 
pronounced him a wizard and dragged him 
three times through a pond." 

'' Little wonder that they thought he used 
magic," replied Mrs. Hyde, as they left the table 
to go into the best room. 

Not every house in the small Maine village 
had a Franklin stove. David always felt a bit 
of pride when he looked on the homely iron 
contrivance so like a fireplace moved out into 
the room, and connected with the chimney by a 
funnel. The minister seemed so little impressed 
by the stove that David decided there must be 
a great many of them in Portland. 

" Now," said the minister, when it was time 
to light the fire, " here are the matches," and he 
showed some little sticks tipped with a certain 



108 DAYS AND DEEDS 

compound. " Here is the vial that must go 
with them," he added, showing a small bottle 
containing an asbestos sponge soaked with sul- 
phuric acid. 

David saw nothing to suggest magic in either 
the bottle or the sticks. 

" And this lights the match ! " the minister 
said, thrusting the tip of the match into the wet 
sponge. 

It did ! The tip of the match flamed on 
touching the acid. The minister bent down 
and applied the match to the neatly laid kin- 
dlings. 

Oh, how easy ! David had hoped his father 
would bring him a drum when he came from 
Portland, but now he wished for nothing so 
much as a box of matches. 

" What will human ingenuity think of 
next?" said Mrs. Hyde. 

" It does not seem possible that much more 
can be done in the way of matches," answered 
the minister, glancing at his case with admira- 
tion. 

All this happened in 1828. Several years 
later the Hydes were again entertaining the 
minister from Portland. There had been a 
number of changes in the home. The minister 



KINDLING A FIRE 109 

noticed with special approval that one of the 
famous new rotary cooking stoves had taken the 
place of the kitchen fireplace. A fireplace still 
warmed the living-room and the Franklin stove 
stood in the best room. 

" It is no matter if you and Cornelius do sit 
up so late as to burn out the fire to-night," said 
Mrs. H^^de to the minister when she went to 
bed, " for we have some of the new friction 
matches, and our fires are little trouble to us." 

As often happened now, there was not a live 
coal in the fireplace the next morning, but when 
David came down early he was not at all dis- 
turbed about the cold hearth. He did not once 
think of the old tinder box, which had been put 
away on the top shelf in the pantry, or of going- 
out to borrow fire. Instead, he took a paste- 
board box from the mantelpiece, took out one 
of the new friction matches, drew it sharply be- 
tween two pieces of sandpaper held by his 
thumb and forefinger, and had his match as 
well lighted as a match of to-da}^ could be. But 
how much more force he had used ! 

" These are far ahead of those Promethean 
matches. There will never be anything better, 
I know," he said to himself. As he held the 
match a moment, admiring the ingenious affair, 



110 DAYS AND DEEDS 

in some way he let it slip and fall into the box 
of unlighted matches which he had taken in his 
left hand. Instantly they were all ablaze. 
David was aghast ! He had enough presence of 
mind, however, to throw the whole blazing 
bundle into the fireplace. When all danger was 
over, he had time to think how much his care- 
lessness had cost, for matches were still expen- 
sive luxuries and this box was to have lasted 
many months. 

At that moment the minister opened the door 
and saw the boy's mishap. 

" Behold how great a matter a little fire kin- 
dleth," he quoted. 

In spite of his mortification, David smiled at 
the aptness of the quotation. 

" Never mind, my boy, accidents will hap- 
pen," the minister added, " and this time you 
will not have to go to the neighbors' to borrow 
fire, for I have two or three matches that your 
mother gave me last night. Here they are," 
and he placed three matches on the mantel in 
front of the grateful boy. 

Years afterward, when David's little grandson 
came running into the house on the Fourth of 
July clamoring for two more boxes of matches, 
the grandfather said, " I recall a morning when 



KINDLING A FIRE 111 

people thought me very wasteful to burn up a 
box of matches ; but then a cent would buy only 
three matches and now it will buy four hundred 
and fifty." 

Learn : — 

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of 
celestial fire, — couscieuce. — From the Copy-hook of Wash- 
Inr/fon. 



A RAILROAD STORY 

Something was going to happen at EUicott's 
Mills. Such a strange thing, too ! Little 
Francis Ellicott heard about it every day, for all 
the people were talking of nothing but the new 
railroad. Not one of them had ever seen a rail- 
road, but it had been settled that they were to 
have one, coming from Baltimore straight out to 
EUicott's Mills, a distance of thirteen miles. 
Then the road was to go on from the Patapsco 
Valley into the Potomac Valley at Point of 
Rocks; and then, most wonderful of all, it was 
to wind its way over the mountains to the Ohio 
River. The road was to be called the Baltimore 
and Ohio railroad, though it would be a long 
time before rails could be run all the way 
through to the Ohio River. 

Francis heard many a dismal prediction, but 
not one of them dampened his enthusiasm. 
" The wheels of the coaches are to run on two 
iron rails made fast to the ground," his grand- 
father told him, " and the builders expect one 
horse to be able to do the work of ten on the 
ordinary turnpike road. They will never get 
across the mountains, never," concluded the old 
gentleman, solemnly shaking his head. 

Now Francis knew a good deal about travel- 
112 



A RAILROAD STORY 113 

ing by boat, a little about traveling on horse- 
back, and a very little about traveling by coach; 
but how could he know anything about a rail- 
road ! The first railroad built in America was 
not then two years old, and was away up north 
in Massachusetts. Two others had been built 
before the Baltimore and Ohio, but all three 
were used for hauling granite or coal. This, the 
fourth road built in the country, was intended 
for " general transportation." When Francis 
learned that this high sounding phrase meant 
that the cars were to carry passengers as well as 
freight, he shouted to think what fun it would 
be to see a car filled with ladies and gentlemen 
rolling along on two narrow rails faster than a 
coach could travel on the broad turnpike. He 
did not dream that anything better than horses 
could be found to draw the cars (nor, in fact, did 
the men who planned the road) ; and the pic- 
ture he made for himself was of a string of 
coaches fastened together, all drawn along that 
queer little track by a prancing horse. 

It was not so very long before Francis realized 
something very like his vision. On the Fourth 
of July, 1828, the railroad was begun ; and in 
the spring of 1830, the double track which had 
been laid as far as the Mills was ready for use. 



114 DAYS AND DEEDS 

Then a notice was given that the line would be 
opened to the public on the 24th of May, and 
that the fare to Ellicott's Mills and return 
would be sevent3^-five cents. 

On the appointed morning, Francis, with 
many others, eagerly waited for the first pas- 
senger train. When at length a staid horse 
came trotting along, drawing after him the small 
but well filled cars, Francis was sorely disap- 
pointed. What did it matter, after all, whether 
the horse drew the coach on a track or along the 
turnpike ! Everything about the train was dis- 
appointing except the amount of noise which 
the cars made on the rail of combined stone and 
iron Avhich was laid in those days. 

From that time Francis lost his interest in the 
railroad, until one morning in the summer some- 
thing happened that was not a bit disappointing. 
At breakfast Mr. Ellicott said, " There is some- 
thing coming on the railroad to-day, my son, 
that you will wish to see." 

Francis was surprised that his father should 
show so much interest in the stupid railroad, for 
it seemed as if even the older people must know 
that there had been nothing on the road for 
months that was worth seeing. 

" I do not know when it will reach here, but 



A RAILROAD STORY 115 

we will be on the watch at the time it is ex- 
pected, for I wish very much to see the wonder- 
fal device myself," added Mr. Ellicott. 

"What is it, father?" asked Francis. 

" What they call a locomotive." 

''A locomotive?" repeated Francis, wonder- 
ingly. 

" Yes, a machine to take the place of horses 
in drawing the cars," answered his father. " Mr. 
Peter Cooper has one built, and he is to try it 
to-day. Stockton and Stokes, I hear, will send 
out their very best horse — the big gray that you 
admire so much — for a race with the locomotive. 
The machine is to draw a car, and tlie gray is to 
draw another, running on the second track." 

This was news indeed ! Long before the time 
set for the locomotive to leave Baltimore, Francis 
was watching the track. He fully expected to 
see only the powerful horse, with his car, flying 
down the second track. The stage proprietors' 
horse, Francis was sure, was the finest in the 
world. Surely no new-fangled machine could 
hold its own with that marvel of strength and 
speed. The time dragged, until at last Francis 
saw approaching, not the gallant gray, but the 
first locomotive in America that had drawn a 
passenger coach. 



116 DAYS AND DEEDS 

Francis never could tell afterwards just what 
his picture of a locomotive had been — some- 
thing rather like a horse, perhaps — but certainly 
nothing like that queer little black machine 
about as large as a good-sized chaise. 

" What makes it go ? " he asked his father in 
utter amazement. 

'* Steam," was his father's unsatisfactory an- 
swer. Why steam should be able to move a 
whole train, Francis could not understi^nd. 
Steam never made the teakettle go running over 
the top of the stove. Why should it move this 
strange black object along the track ! It was all 
a mystery, but the locomotive certainly moved 
at a rapid rate, drawing behind it a car filled 
with directors of the railroad and their friends. 

Francis forgot about the gray horse in his 
curiosity to see the locomotive. He walked 
down to the end of the line with his father, 
where a great number of people were crowding 
around the little engine as it came to a stop at 
the close of the first half of its trial trip. 

The little train had come around the curves 
at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, and at its 
greatest speed had covered eighteen miles an 
hour. It had been predicted that people could 
not endure being whirled along at what was 




"The Little Engine came to a Stop 



A RAILROAD STORY 11 Y 

called such " terrific velocity." But here were 
the directors safe and sound and, to all appear- 
ances, unusually happy. 

Everybody in the gay party congratulated 
Mr. Cooper. One gentleman showed Mr. Elli- 
cott a memorandum book in which he had writ- 
ten his address and several connected sentences 
when they were traveling at the highest speed. 
*' A revolution has begun," this man declared ; 
" horse power is doomed ! " 

" Old Erasmus Darwin was nearer right than 
people thought," said a director, " when he 
wrote fifty years ago : 

' Soou shall thy arm, uu conquered steam ! afar 
Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car.' " 

Francis looked at the locomotive first on one 
side and then on the other. This strange ma- 
chine filled him with wonder. And after all a 
boy of to-day would be filled with wonder at 
seeing such a locomotive, though for very dif- 
ferent reasons. He would be astonished to see 
that the whole engine weighed only about one 
ton, that it had only four wheels, and most of 
all that its boiler, which was about as large as a 
flour barrel, stood up straight in the air instead 
of lying on its side as in the engine of to-day. 



13* 3iA3« A!KD IJEED6 

Francis eangirt tb* fiiithusiasin of tbf; party 
and cLecided thsn and tbert to be a lailroad man. 
A ll Ilk way hnmii, after tiif; little train had 
started hack to the city, ite wae trying to decide 
■vritether lie would Tattter dirve tite Tom Tiimnb, 
as Mr. Cooper called the little engine, or be a 
director and ride in a passenger coach at the 
terrihc speed of eighteen nailee sai hour. 

Francis was sitting on the porch at home be- 
iara he thonght ai' the gray horse. " Didn't the 
horse come? '^ he asked his father. 

'■ One of the gentlemen told mej" answered 
his iather, *'that they -expected to noeet him 
somewhere on the Tetirrri and to laee from there 
to town.'" 

The next day Francis heard abont the race. 
It seemed tiiat the horse did meet the retmming 
engine at the Helay House, where the race began. 
"While the engine was getting np steam the horBe 
gained upon it. and he was perha]3s a quarter of 
a TniW ahead when the exeiteuMni ijegan. This 
is the story of the race as told by l&i. Xatrobe, 
one of the membere of the party. 

" The safety-T'al^'^e began to scream and the 
engine began to gain. The pace increased, the 
passengers shouted, the engine gained on the 
hoi^jfe, soon it lapped him — the silk was plied — 



A RAILROAD STORY 119 

the race was neck and neck, nose and nose, then 
the engine passed the horse and a great hurrah 
hailed the victory. But it was not repeated, for 
just at this time, when tlie gray's master was 
about giving up, the band which drove the pul- 
ley, which drove the blower, slipped from the 
drum, the safety-valve ceased to scream, and the 
engine began to wheeze and pant. In vain Mr. 
Cooper, who was his own engine-man and fire- 
man, lacerated his hands in attempting to re- 
place the band upon the wheel ; in vain he tried 
to urge the fire with light wood ; the horse 
gained on the machine and passed it ; and al- 
though the band was presently replaced, the 
horse was too far ahead to he overtaken, and 
came in the winner of the race." 

Although the horse reached town first, the vic- 
tory really belonged to the locomotive. Every- 
body realized this fact, and there were no more 
trials of speed between horse and steam power. 
It was only a little more tlian a year afterwards 
that the Baltimore and Ohio railway gave up 
the use of horses altogether. 

Soon after tliis trial trij)()n tlie BaHimore and 
Ohio, a train made ui)of a locomotive and three 
passenger coaches was seen on a New York rail- 
road, the coaches still built likt^ stage coaches, 



120 DAYS AND DEEDS 

each carrying nine people inside and six outside. 
In a few years more, locomotives were in use in 
all parts of the country then settled. In 1840 
there were about three thousand miles of track 
in the country. 

When Francis Ellicott visited the centennial 
in 1876, he saw displayed there by the Balti- 
more and Ohio railroad a locomotive weighing 
fifty tons. He thought of the Tom Thumb and 
laughed. " The steam locomotive has about 
reached its limit," he said to himself. His son, 
Francis Ellicott, Jr., saw in St. Louis, at the 
great exposition in 1904, a freight engine, dis- 
played by the same Baltimore and Ohio railroad, 
which weighed two hundred and thirty-nine 
tons. While contrasting the monster with his 
father's picture of the Tom Thumb, his eye fell 
on one of the pow^erful new electric locomotives 
not far away. Smiling, he said to himself with 
more truth than his father's remark contained, 
" The steam locomotive has about reached its 
limit." 

Learn : — 

To think all discovered' s an error profound ; 
'Tis to take the horizon for earth's mighty bound. 

— Anon. 



THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 



'' That man over there wants Congress to ap- 
propriate thirty thousand dollars to enable him 
to build a line of wire and try his new inven- 
tion, which he calls an electric telegraph." 

The speaker stood in the centre of a little 
group gathered in the rotunda of the Capitol at 
Washington. John Arter, clinging to his 
father's hand, on the outskirts of the group, 
turned to look in the direction indicated, and 
saw across the rotunda a tall, handsome man 
with a careworn face. 

" In my opinion, Congress might as well 
throw the money into the sea," added the 
speaker. " It is not probable that Samuel F. B. 
Morse, or any other man, can invent a machine 
that will send a message along a wire from one 
place to another. I have no patience with such 
tomfoolery. The sooner an end is made of the 
petition the better." And witlra contemptuous 
sniff, the man who had expressed his opinion so 
decidedly, turned and walked away. 

121 



122 DAYS AND DEEDS 

John looked up into his father's face. " What 
is an electric telegraph, father? " 

Mr. Arter hesitated. " I can hardly make it 
plain to you by words, John. But I do not 
agree with our friend who has just left us, and 
I hope we shall all soon have the opportunity 
of seeing the telegraph working over a line that 
the government shall provide." 

Mr. Arter was about to explain the matter 
further, when Professor Morse, turning, recog- 
nized the gentleman at Mr. Arter's right and 
approached the group. He was warmly greeted, 
and all the company were introduced to him, 
even John, who was always glad in after years 
to remember that he had received a kindly word 
from the great inventor. 

" We are all hoping for the success of your 
bill," said Professor Morse's friend in the course 
of conversation. " Yes, even John, I think, for 
he is very anxious to know what the electric 
telegraph is, and how else can he know? " 

*' You will know some time, my boy," said 
Professor Morse, " though I have not now much 
faith that the day will come soon or through 
my efforts. But some time telegraph lines will 
thread this country just as the railroads now so 
definitely promise to do. And the sending of a 



THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 123 

message will not be limited to our own country, 
for if the communication will go ten miles with- 
out being lost, I can make it go around the 
globe." He spoke with a quiet dignity that 
carried conviction. 

" I would that we each had a vote when the 
matter of the appropriation comes up to-day," 
said Mr. Arter. 

" I certainly wish that you had," replied Pro- 
fessor Morse, warmly ; and with that, the gen- 
tlemen parted to attend to their various duties. 

John Arter lived in Baltimore, but was en- 
joying a trip to Washington with his father, 
who often had business in the capital. 

There was so much for a boy to see and so 
much to do that John did not think about the 
telegraph again until night. '' Did Professor 
Morse get his money this afternoon? " he asked 
his father. 

" I am sorry to say that he did not," replied 
Mr. Arter. " There are many bills to consider, 
and each must wait its turn. The Senate did 
not reach his bill in the course of the day. But 
there is much opposition, and even if the bill is 
reached this session, I fear that it will not pass. 
I have just seen Professor Morse in the lobby of 
the hotel, and he has come from the Capitol 



124 DAYS AND DEEDS 

wholly discouraged. This session of Congress is 
over at midnight and there are one hundred and 
nineteen bills ahead of his. He has given up 
all hope that they will reach his before adjourn- 
ment. He has spent all his money, for he, him- 
self, told me to-night that he would go back to 
New York with only a fraction of a dollar in 
his pocket ; he has been before two Congresses ; 
and now he will hnd that an unappreciative 
country will put off for another term of years 
the incalculable benefits of his invention." 

When John went down to breakfast the next 
morning he saw Professor Morse, but did not 
find him wearing the disheartened look that he 
had expected. Instead, Professor Morse was 
radiant. 

"What has happened to Professor Morse?" 
he asked. 

" I must find out whether there is any good 
news," his father replied. 

Indeed there was good news. Professor Morse 
had just been called from the breakfast-room to 
find Miss Annie Ellsworth, the daughter of one 
of his warmest friends, awaiting him in the 
parlor. 

" I have come to congratulate you ! " she 
cried. 



THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 125 

"For what, my dear friend?" Professor 
Morse asked in bewilderment. 

" On the passage of your bilL" 

" Oil, no, my young friend, you are mistaken ; 
I was in the senate chamber until after the 
lamps were lighted, and my senatorial friends 
assured me that there was no chance for me." 

"■ It is you who are mistaken," Miss Ells- 
worth joyously replied. " Father was there at 
the adjournment and saw the President put his 
name to your bill. I asked father if 1 might 
come and tell you, and he gave me leave. Am 
I the first to bring the news? " 

Professor Morse afterwards wrote that he was 
too much overcome at first to speak, but that at 
length he replied, " Yes, Annie, you are the first 
to inform me ; and now I am going to make you 
a promise : the first despatch on the completed 
line to Baltimore shall be yours." 

" Good ! " she said, " I shall hold you to your 
promise." 

II 

John Arter first met Professor Morse on the 
third of March, 1842. He did not see the in- 
ventor again until May 1, 1844, when a second 
meeting came about in this way. 



126 DAYS AND DEEDS 

After Congress had appropriated the money 
necessary for building a trial line, Professor 
Morse at once began the work of construction. 
The line was to run from Washington to Balti- 
more. Professor Morse hoped that the govern- 
ment would take control of the telegraph service 
just as it had taken charge of the entire mail serv- 
ice. For that reason, he deemed it best to build 
the first line from Washington, in order that the 
successful working of the line might be easily 
made known to Congress. 

Work on the new telegraph progressed rather 
slowly at first, because the wires were labor- 
iously laid under ground in a lead tube. As this 
arrangement did not give satisfactory results, 
some other means of carrying the wires had to 
be found. When it was discovered that if the 
wires were strung on posts, perfectly satisfactory 
results were obtained, the work was carried on 
rapidly. Yet on May 1, 1844, when the great 
national convention of the Whig party was held 
in Baltimore, only twenty-two miles of the line 
were in working order. 

Think of the state of affairs when the people 
of Washington, only forty miles from Baltimore, 
had to wait for news of the convention to come 
by train ! Professor Morse saw that here was 



THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 127 

an opportunity to show the people what the 
telegraph could do. He accordingly made ar- 
rangements to use the part of the line already 
constructed. 

Eighteen miles from Baltimore, at the spot 
where the line from Washington ended, Mr. 
Alfred Vail was stationed in a little office to 
send tidings of the nomination to Professor 
Morse, who had his apparatus set up at the Cap- 
itol, in the room formerly used by the Supreme 
Court. 

The convention assembled on the appointed 
day, and by acclamation nominated its great 
leader, Henry Clay, to be the next president of 
the United States. Just as soon as possible after 
the vote was taken, a message was carried by 
train to the little station where Mr. Vail was 
anxiously waiting. " Henry Clay " was the 
word given him, and the operator, with sup- 
pressed excitement, sent the message to Wash- 
ington. 

When Professor Morse gave out the message 
at Washington, it was received with shouting 
and throwing of hats into the air ; and then, 
incredible as it seems to people of to-day, the very 
shouters turned one to another and said, " Do 
you think it is true, or is he deceiving us? " 



128 DAYS AND DP:EDS 

More than one hour later the train from Bal- 
timore came in with groups of excited people 
aboard. " Clay ! Clay ! " they shouted, suppos- 
ing they were telling news. 

" We knew it an hour ago," replied some of 
the very people who had doubtingly said, " Do 
you think it is true? " 

John Arter came to Washington on that very 
train. This time his father was not with him, 
for John could now be trusted alone with many 
a business errand. That day he hurried 
through his work and went to the Capitol, hop- 
ing to be able to catch a glimpse of Professor 
Morse and to learn a little more about the electric 
telegraph. 

He was not disappointed. He gained a gen- 
eral notion of the way in which the message 
is sent ; saw some letters of the dot and dash 
alphabet which the needle makes as the electric- 
ity moves it along ; and, best of all, saw Pro- 
fessor Morse and heard an admirer say of him, 
" I would rather be that man to-day than any 
one else in the United States, for no man has 
done more for his country than he has accom- 
plished by the discovery of the electric tele- 
graph." 

John swelled with pride to think that he had 



THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH 129 

met so great a num. He began to understand 
more clearly what makes men truly great. 

It was only a few weeks after this eventful 
day, that the whole line was completed. Pro- 
fessor Morse was in the Baltimore office when 
the wires were in and properly connected. He 
proceeded at once to Washington, leaving word 
that no message should be sent over the line 
until he had sent one from Washington. On 
reaching the capital, he sent a note to Miss Ells- 
worth, telling her that the telegraph was ready, 
and asking what the first message should be. 
Choosing a passage that her mother had sug- 
gested, Miss Ellsworth promptly replied, ** What 
hath God wrought! " (Numbers xxiii : 23). 

The words had been chosen without consulta- 
tion with the inventor, but he afterwards said, 
" No words could have been selected more ex- 
pressive of the disposition of my own mind at 
that time to ascribe all the honor to Him to 
whom it truly belongs." 

On May 24, 1844, the line was formally 
opened. It is said that Professor Morse was the 
calmest man in the distinguished assembly that 
witnessed the sending of the first message. It 
was transmitted to Mr. Vail, who did not know 
what words were to be sent. In an instant of 



130 DAYS AND DEEDS 

time ''the inspiring and inspired" message was 
flashed to Baltimore and repeated to Washing- 
ton, a circuit of eighty miles. Professor Morse's 
triumph was complete, but the modesty of the 
man was shown in his remark concerning the 
first message : "It baptized the American tele- 
graph with the name of its author." 

From this time the success of the electric tele- 
graph was assured. Professor Morse would have 
been glad to sell his rights to the government, 
but his offer was rejected. Later, when the gov- 
ernment would have been glad to buy, many 
people were financially interested in the busi- 
ness and they did not care to sell. It is pleas- 
ant to know that one of those to whom the 
electric telegraph brought large financial returns 
was the man who for twelve weary years sac- 
rificed every other interest in his life to its intro- 
duction into practical use. 

Learn : — 

Massachusetts honors her two sons — Franklin and 
Morse. The one conducted the lightning safely from the 
sky ; the other conducts it beneath the ocean, from conti- 
nent to continent. The one tamed the lightning ; the 
other makes it minister to human wants and himian prog- 
ress. — Alexander H. Bullock^ Governor of Massachusetts. 



ADVERTISEMENTS 



America's Story 
For America's Children 



By MARA L. PRATT. 



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The causes that led to it, the men who guided events, and subsequent civil 
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Descripti-ve circular free on request. 



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AN ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF 
THE UNITED STATES 

By ALLEN C. THOMAS, A. M. 

Author of "yi History of the United States,^' and Professor of History 
in Ha-verford College. 



THE Elementary History is for the use of younger 
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Clotb. J'j7 p^g^^- Maps and illustrations. Introduction price, 6o cents. 

D. C. HEATH cSi CO., Publishers, Boston New York Chicago 



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